LSU Libraries -- Library Systems -- Info About SPAM
SPAM / Unsolicited E-Mail
NOTE: no legitimate business will ever send an e-mail
asking for sensitive personal or financial information. It follows that if
no legitimate business will ask for sensitive information via e-mail, you should
never e-mail any sensitive personal information. Ever. Any e-mail that requests
such sensitive information, regardless of how genuine or sophisticated it looks,
has to be considered fraudulent and treated accordingly. Period.
Install the latest version of Lotus Notes
(R5)and its Mail Rules, which are filters for SPAM.
(OR) View your e-mail using
Microsoft Outlook and its Mail Rules, which are filters for SPAM.
Don't forward chain e-mail messages Besides
causing more traffic over the line, forwarding a chain e-mail message might be
furthering a hoax, and, more importantly, by doing this you're just provided a
good source of active e-mail addresses to any spammer who gets ahold of the
chain e-mail!
Limit where you post your e-mail address Be
cautious about posting your e-mail address on public Web sites, and remove
your e-mail address from your personal Web site. If you list or link to your
e-mail address, you can expect to be spammed.
Use multiple e-mail addresses for different purposes
You might set up one for personal use to correspond with friends, family, or
colleagues, and use another for more public activities, such as requesting
information, shopping, or for subscribing to newsletters, discussion lists,
and newsgroups.
Review the privacy policies of Web sites When
you sign up for online banking, shopping, and newsletters, review the privacy
policy closely before you reveal your e-mail address and other personal
information. Look at the Web site for a link (usually at the bottom of the
home page) or section called "Privacy Statement," "Privacy Policy," "Terms and
Conditions," or "Terms of Use." If the Web site does not explain how it will
use your personal information, think twice about using that service.
Watch out for check boxes that are already selected
When you buy things online, companies sometimes add a check box (already
selected!) to indicate that it is fine to sell or give your e-mail address to
other businesses (third parties). Clear the check box so that your e-mail
address won't be shared.
Don't reply to spam Don't reply even to
unsubscribe unless you know and trust the sender. Answering spam just confirms
that your e-mail address is live.
If a company uses e-mail messages to ask for personal
information, don't respond by sending a message Most legitimate companies
will not ask for personal information in e-mail. Be suspicious if they do. It
could be a "spoofed" e-mail message meant to look like a legitimate one.
If the spam is from a company that you do business with— for example,
your credit card company— call the company, but don't use a phone
number provided on the e-mail. Use a number that you find yourself, either
through directory assistance, a bank statement, a bill, or other source.
Don't contribute to a charity based on a request in
e-mail Unfortunately, some spammers prey on your good will. If you
receive an appeal from a charity, treat it as spam. If it is a charity that
you want to support, find their number elsewhere and call them to find out how
you can make a contribution.
Disguise (or "munge") your e-mail address when you
post it to a newsgroup, chat room, bulletin board, or other public places For
example, you can give your e-mail address as "s0me0ne@example.c0m" by using
the number zero instead of the letter "o." This way, a person can interpret
your address, but the automated programs that spammers use cannot.
