How do I Reduce Junk-Mail

How Do I Reduce Junk-Mail? Even though our e-mail server blocks thousands of junk messages daily, you may have to follow these steps to limit the amount of junk messages you receive… Change your level of junk e-mail protection. 1. 2. 3. • • • • On the Tools menu, click Options. On the Preferences tab, under E-mail, click Junk E-mail*. Select the protection level that you want. No protection Although this turns off the automatic Junk E-mail Filter, Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 will continue to evaluate messages by using domain names and e-mail addresses on your Blocked Senders List, and messages will continue to be moved to your Junk E-mail folder. Low If you don't receive many junk e-mail messages and want to see all but the most obvious junk messages, you should select this option. High If you receive a large volume of junk e-mail messages, you should select this option. However, you should periodically review the messages moved to your Junk E-mail folder, because some wanted messages may be moved there as well. Safe Lists Only Any e-mail messages sent from someone not on your Safe Senders List or sent to a mailing list not on the Safe Recipients List will be treated as junk e-mail messages. Note: The Junk E-mail Filter in Outlook is turned on by default, and the protection level is set to Low. This level is designed to catch only the most obvious junk e-mail messages. You can make the filter more aggressive, but if you do it may catch legitimate messages sometimes. Any message that is caught by the Junk E-mail Filter is moved to a special Junk E-mail folder. You should review messages in the Junk E-mail folder from time to time to make sure that they are not legitimate messages that you want to see. * If you receive this prompt after clicking the Junk E-mail button, STOP, and call IS, x5774. Add email address or domain to junk senders list. Right-click on the message you want to mark as junk, click on Junk E-mail and choose Add Sender to Block Senders List. You will no longer get emails from this exact address. Unfortunately, you may get messages from similar addresses, such as • • • • pain@junkmail.com pain!@junkmail.com pain1@junkmail.com pain_1@junkmail.com So, you should consider adding the domain (the part that follows the @) to the Blocked Senders list. Block senders from the entire domain. 1. From the Tools menu, select Options, 2. On the Preferences tab, under E-mail, click the Junk E-mail button. 3. Click the Blocked Senders tab and finally, the Add button. Now, you can add the domain, ex. @junkmail.com or the full address, ex. trouble@junkmail.com. Be careful, if you block emails from an entire domain you may be blocking a legitimate email. So, occasionally check your Junk E-mail folder to make sure valid emails are not going unread. Are you getting messages in your Junk E-mail folder from trusted senders? Just as when marking a message as junk, you do the same to mark it as not junk. Right-click on the message in your Junk E-mail folder, click on Junk E-mail and select Mark as Not Junk… Messages from this address will arrive in your Inbox from now on. Or, just click this button Note: Messages marked as not junk are moved to your Inbox or to the folder they were previously in. Additional tips to prevent receiving junk email. • • • Keep your Junk E-mail Filter updated Updates are available at Downloads on Office Online. Under Office Update, click Check for Updates. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/default.aspx 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 email address, you can expect to be spammed. Use separate e-mail addresses for separate purposes You might set up one address for personal use to correspond with friends, family, or colleagues, and use another address for more public activities, such as requesting information, shopping, or subscribing to newsletters, discussion lists, and newsgroups. Don't reply to spam Never reply — not 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. This tactic is known as "phishing" because, as the name implies, the spam is used as a means to "fish" for your credentials, such as your account number and passwords that are necessary to access and manipulate your financial accounts. 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 by yourself, through directory assistance, a statement, a bill, or another source. If the request is legitimate, the company's switchboard operator should be able to assist you. 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. Don't forward chain e-mail messages Besides causing more traffic, by forwarding a chain e-mail message you might be furthering a hoax — and meanwhile, you lose control over who sees your e-mail address. • • • •