Lack of Spam-not a problem!

[George & Helen Myers]

Our ISP uses Spam filters. We can look at what is in the spam folder but it will not be downloaded until we move desired message into our mailbox which will the be downloaded when I request send/receive in Outlook Express. Most days the number of spam messages are 80+. But for the past several days these numbers have been dwindling. Today there was only one spam message! Has anyone else experience the drop in spam? Just curious!......Helen

[agsem]

Quite the opposite. I have noticed an unusual increase. For the season. I have had my REAL email address since 1993, and it is on about 500 pages of stuff I have up. Thanksgiving-Christmas-NewYears usually is the high season. I will get 600-1200 daily spam emails. My ISP has NO virus nor spam filtering software, Norton on my machine takes care of the virus's.
Greg Hayden

[George & Helen Myers]

Since I posted, there has been no more than a total of 10 spam messages in the spam folder at my ISP. I think I will call them to find out if they are just dumping them or what is going on. Our ISP also allows us to set a value that will determine whether or not the message will be dumped into the spam folder. What I am saying is that if I didn't look at my mail on the net I would never see these messages. If they label something as spam because of the subject, it is possible for us to white-list any address we do not want dumped into the spam folder. I think we do get a lot for the $12 a month(annual rate) that it costs. Of course this is dial-up....Helen

[Craig A]

Many ISPs provide spam filtering but, sometimes, you have to ASK for it.
My provider uses postini which works very well and also pre-scans junk for viruses.
Many ISPs, apparently, have a "don't ask....don't tell" policy so ASK them.
The WORST development is some spammers have a program which inserts YOUR address as the RETURN address so you CAN'T block them... without blocking your OWN email.
Craig

[George & Helen Myers]

Originally Posted by Craig Anderson

The WORST development is some spammers have a program which inserts YOUR address as the RETURN address so you CAN'T block them... without blocking your OWN email.
Craig

Our ISP would request that on those(above) we should copy & paste the details from the header onto the forwarded message back to them.

I did call them yesterday about the lack of spam in my spam mailbox on their site. They advised me that what they have done is taken the info from the spam message over the pass several months, this included info returned by subscribers, & updated their filters so that we won't even see them anymore. What we are getting now is the messages from new spam addresses which they will eventually use in updating their filters at a future point. I have only had 2 new ones on their site in the past 3 days. Sure beats the 80 to 100 that we used to get daily!

I also have eTrust anti-spam along with their Pest Patrol, Personal Firewall and EZ anti-virus. Don't really like the Pest Patrol updates because I think it appears to be the complete program not just a short update...But I also have Ad-Ware which works adequately, I think.

[Craig A]

Originally Posted by George & Helen Myers

Our ISP would request that on those(above) we should copy & paste the details from the header onto the forwarded message back to them.

Helen (or George ).......I have TRIED tracking the ....er.....devils down using the header information but they are SLICK! They cover their tracks VERY well..........
It isn't WIDE spread...................YET.................
Craig

[George & Helen Myers]

It's been several months since I saw a spam message appearing "from myself". We had to have our own address "white-listed". When these messages showed up in my inbox in Outlook Express, I would just copy and paste the details and send it to my ISP, these were the instruction from them. I am too computer illiterate to understand all this stuff. I spend a great deal of time keeping myself out of trouble! Also it is Helen, George doesn't touch the computer, he can't even click the mouse! But I do usually stay out of his Shop!!! Helen

[Craig A]

It's really no use trying to block them anyway as they set up "disposable" addresses or domains which they keep just long enough to get their dirty work done.....be it spam/phishing scheme/whatever.....and then take it down so they can't be tracked by the average user.
Their LINKS. however, remain viable long enough to snag some poor, uninformed, trusting souls to fall for their ruses.
Harry works VERY hard at keeping the scumbags out of his domains which is why nobody has to be afraid of using this site.
Craig

BTW: I'm SURE the "stay out his shop" plan works really well too!!

[George & Helen Myers]

[quote=BTW: I'm SURE the "stay out his shop" plan works really well too!! [/quote]

I'm very welcome in his shop! I just can't stand the griping when things go wrong! Unlike many of the people in this hobby, ours is a partnership! I'm into it as much as he is!