h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Internet Banking, I use that, and the main thing to watch there is to check that the small yellow padlock is showing in the bottom right corner That also applies for any other form of purchasing on line like EBay or Pay pal for example

They also make you have a security question (mostly one of a few they suggest, like Mothers name, or first school you attended)
Plus the fact, that if you ever do get ripped off by banking on line, they promise to make up any losses you suffered, so that alone makes you feel OK
Smudger,

All that, and make sure you call your bank before you reply to any emails from your bank about your account, or follow any links sent to you on emails that look like they might be from your bank. That's called phishing here, and it's a good way to get poor gullible people to give away their account numbers and ATM card pins to criminals.

Hi Scandrea, My bank tells you it will never send you any other Emails apart for the statements it sends once a month
There is a full screen explaining that to you as soon as you log on It says that they would never send you an Email asking for you to confirm your details

Yet, as you say, some folk still get stung by responding to bogus ones and some of those bogus ones look so official as well, in fact the bank lists a link that you can report bogus Emails onto, that way they stand a chance of catching out the senders
Smudger,

I *always* delete e-mails purporting to come from banks, as even if they don't ask you to confirm your details, I know that if you click on links, it can have really bad results.

You can also copy and paste the address and send it to that site where they trace the source on those type Emails, then report them to the fraud squad
They are always looking for people to send them in to them
Smudger,

What site is that, Smudger? Do they also sort out junk mail? I get no end of people wanting to sell me Viagra! Up to 20 a day. What would I do with it?

Ah! I am glad you asked me Zarquon, on Hotmail its not really a site, its a service they provide free! All you have to do it click on Empty (which is just beside delete)and a window pops up with a link you can press to "report all these as spam" and that's it done

(BTW, your lucky its only Viagra they are offering you? I have been offered "surgery"

There is a site a signed up to once, and you fill in a simple from on line, and that stops all your Junk mail (normal mail) as well as all the rubbish we get on our In Boxes.
It did actually work for me, in fact it was good few months before it all gradually started creeping back
I think I got onto it by typing Junkmail into Google, good luck with it
Smudger.

I've got a spam filter on my Mac, but it doesn't stop it coming in the first instance. I've had a google for it and so far have found:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/inbox.htm - although this may only be for Americans

http://www.cdt.org/spam/

http://www.abuse.net/ - thia looks useful

http://www.obliquity.com/computer/spambait/complain.html

http://www.mytrashmail.com/report_spam.aspx - OK, but appears to rely on purchased software

I would really like to report whoever it is who's sending me such rubbish. I gather someone got done for sending out several billion spam emails.

You could always do what I did, and set your junk mail folder to "Max" that means that only Emails from people on your address book get through, all the rest got straight into the Junk mail folder

Its then really easy to add folk onto your Safe list, you just click the link that says "this is not junk mail"
Smudger,

Yes, it's worth considering. However, at the moment, I get quite a lot of newsletters and I'm too idle to add them all to my 'wanted' list. Most spam goes directly into my junk folder, but there's always a smattering that don't. If it were to get too annoying, then I might well take action along the lines you suggest, Smudger.

I have directed my Mac to dump everything that my ISP marks as spam straight in to a separate folder so It doesn't end up in my Inbox.

My ISP offers to dump what they regard as Spam for us, but as they mark my newsletters and other requested mail as Spam too I don't trust them

I find it interesting that for the first three years online I had hardly any spam but the ISP changed hands (twice now) and with each change has come a vast amount more spam. I have my thoughts on why and I expect you can guess.

Regarding the 'offers' of 'services' etc. I instructed my email programme to block viagra emails, so the crafty blighters changed the spelling putting a double G in it. I just can't be bothered to add any more rules so I just use the delete button to vent my frustration over everything in life that bugs me.

The Net would be a lot quicker and more efficient if all that rubbish could be eliminated but someone somewhere is making money so it won't happen.

Websailor

Hi Websailor

I did both of those on my Mac - and yes, I've had changed spellings and newsletters ending up in junk, but it's definitely better than having the junk in my inbox. It feels more than junk, though - it feels like pollution.

If you make the mistake of reading any of them, you are right it is mind pollution, and an invasion of our space too!

Hope you had a good birthday and did something nice.

Websailor