Can I stop mass mail from getting to me?

Netiquette, Spam Sources, The problem might be you.

YES you can… If stop using email!

Step One: Educate yourself!

Your tax dollars have funded the following educational resources, agencies and departments.

The following information is available at: www.onguardonline.gov

Step Two: Be Diligent

  • Do not reply to emails if you do not know who sent them.
  • Do not forward emails that contain multiple addresses in the TO: or CC: lines or that contain a bunch of forwards below in the body of the the email. No Joke or picture of cute animals is worth the potential risk.
  • Do not click on links in email especially regarding banking, shipping or investment information! Instead GO to the url of the account, institution or vendor to avoid being duped by “lool-alike” phishing scams.
  • Educate your friends an family when you see them behaving in less than safe ways on the internet.

Don’t make assumptions!
If someone you know sends you an email that looks suspicious call them or send them a separate email asking if they mistakenly sent you something – It could be they have been hacked or they could have a virus on their computer OR they could have made a mistake!

Step Three: Report Spam

Forward unwanted or deceptive messages to:

  • the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov. Be sure to include the complete spam email.
  • your email provider. At the top of the message, state that you’re complaining about being spammed. Some email services have buttons that allow you to mark messages as junk mail or report them spam.
  • the sender’s email provider, if you can tell who it is. Most web mail providers and ISPs want to cut off spammers who abuse their system. Again, make sure to include the entire spam email and say that you’re complaining about spam.

If you try to unsubscribe from an email list and your request is not honored, file a complaint with the FTC.
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NOTE: – we at CompanyV recommend you ONLY consider unsubscribing from places you have purchased or otherwise provided information to! If you do not know the sender do not unsubscribe – you might simply be validating a working email address.

File A Complaint with the FTC

File A Complaint with the FTC

LINK TO File A complaint with the FTC

Before You Submit a Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies, business practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the media.

Why: Your complaints can help us detect patterns of wrong-doing, and lead to investigations and prosecutions. The FTC enters all complaints it receives into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database that is used by thousands of civil and criminal law enforcement authorities worldwide. The FTC does not resolve individual consumer complaints.

Your Privacy: How much personal information you provide is up to you. To learn how we safeguard your personal information, please read our Privacy Policy. If you don’t provide your name and certain other information, it may be impossible for us to refer, respond to, or investigate your complaint.

The FTC has a complaint form – you enter in your contact information and they walk you though a submissions series of questions:

  • Identity Theft – Someone is using my accounts or personal information illegally
  • Attempted Identity Theft – Someone has attempted to use my accounts or personal information illegally
  • Counterfeit Check Scam – In a transaction, someone sent a check that didn’t clear
  • Data Breach – My personal information was disclosed due to the breach of a company’s data
  • Potential Identity Theft – My personal information has been lost, stolen, or disclosed
  • Telemarketing – I am dissatisfied with a company’s telemarketing practices
  • Email Spam – I am receiving unwanted emails
  • Debt Collection – I am dissatisfied with the practices of a debt collector
  • Credit Reporting – I have a problem with my Credit Report
  • Other – None of these describe my concern

THERE ARE STATE LAWS TOO!

http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/telecom/state-spam-laws.aspx

CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 Final version (Enrolled Bill) as passed by both Houses.

State Laws Relating to Unsolicited Commercial or Bulk E-mail (SPAM)
Updated February 10, 2010

Thirty-seven states have laws regulating unsolicited electronic mail advertising. The majority of these state laws target commercial or fraudulent electronic mail; a smaller number of state laws apply to unsolicited “bulk” e-mail (e.g., Virginia’s law–note recent Virginia Supreme Court decision). Most state anti-spam laws prohibit misrepresenting or falsifying the origin of or the routing information on messages; using an Internet address of a third party without permission, or including misleading information in the subject line of a message. Some states also prohibit the sale or distribution of software that is designed solely to falsify or forge the point of origin of or the routing information on e-mail messages.

Most other aspects of state laws, such as labeling requirements for adult-oriented advertising, are preempted by the federal CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. The act preempts any state law that “expressly regulates the use of electronic mail to send commercial messages, except to the extent that any such statute, regulation, or rule prohibits falsity or deception in any portion of a commercial electronic mail message or information attached thereto.” The act prohibits fraudulent and deceptive commercial e-mail messages and requires senders to include information allowing recipients to opt-out of receiving further messages.

The Federal Trade Commission has adopted a rule, effective May 19, 2004, requiring spam that contains sexually oriented material to include the warning “SEXUALLY-EXPLICIT:” in the subject line.

See also Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail.