Fighting Spam

(taken from PC World June 2002 p.104) 

Outlook Express 6.x

1. Select Tools -> Message Rules -> Mail
2. If you already have one or more rules, click the New button.
3. In the New Rule dialogue box, select conditions for applying the rule:  For example, check the box next to conditions pertaining to 'Subject Line'.
4. Select the Action that you want the filter to perform:  Check the Move it to specified folder box.
5. In the Rule Description box, click the underlined phrase in 'Subject line contains specific words' and fill in text commonly used in spam - such as nude viagra sex money XXX. Click OK twice.
6. Click the underlined word in 'specified folder'. In the Move box, select New folder and type in a name for it ( like spam-o-matic).  Click OK twice.
7. Create a name for your rule, and click OK twice.

This rule should filter some of the spam you receive into a folder where you can examine it before deleting; check before deleting to be sure that you really want to trash the filtered e-mail. Periodically tweak the filter's keywords to catch more of what's clogging your in-box.

Netscape Mail 6.1/6.2

1. Select Edit -> Message Filters.
2. Pick your e-mail account from the 'Filters for' drop-down, and click New.
3. In the Filters Rules dialogue box, name the filter, select Any of the following, and set the drop-down list buttons to Subject and contains.  Click the text box to the right, and type keywords ( like nude viagra sex money XXX ).
4. Click the More button.  Using the second set of drop-down list buttons, select Body and contains, click their text box, and type more keywords.
5. Under 'Perform this action:' select Move to folder and the appropriate e-mail account; then click New Folder. Type a name, and set 'Create as a subflder of ' to the e-mail address. Click OK three times.

Check the spam folder daily for legitimate mail that may be trapped there, and delete the rest. Periodically tweak the filter rules to catch more spam.

For anti-spam tools for Windows, click here.

12 June 2002   Spam Threatens to choke Internet