Controlling SPAM

It may not be possible to eliminate all spam, but you can act to reduce it.

• Set up rules to filter out unwanted messages. Most email programs allow this. Put them in a separate folder you can review before deleting. It isn't easy to create rules, choosing the vocabulary and exceptions that will be most effective, but this is your first line of defense. Only you know what you need blocked. Central filtering may be too broad in scope and can all too easily eliminate valid email.

• Get a second email address that you use for online purchase verifications, newslists, chats, member profiles, creating a webpage, etc. Don't use your UCLA email account for this purpose. It is simple to close a 'free' email account and open another. It is much more difficult to do so with a UCLA account.

• If possible, don't open email if you don't know the sender. Simply delete the messages. Do not retaliate by spamming people back. The 'From' address is almost always a 'spoof', faked to conceal the real sender. And don't ever reply to spam or try to unsuscribe. Instead, complain to your ISP or you can also send complaints to the Federal Trade Commissions (improper business practices) at UCE@FTC.GOV and the FBI by going to http://www.fbi.gov