SPAM Frequently Asked Questions for Consumers

1. Where does all the spam come from?
   • 99% of spam comes from 100-150 known spammers that exploit technical features of Internet by hiding or falsifying identities.
   • They can send mass e-mail from around the globe at practically no cost (just need a computer and modem).
   • Today, most spam comes from the U.S. But over time, this should change due to U.S. regulations.
2. How do spammers get my address?
   • Spammers buy email lists from marketers and list brokers who compile them by "harvesting" addresses from the Internet (programs that look for email addresses on web pages, directories, etc.) or offline directories.
3. Should I or shouldn’t I unsubscribe to unsolicited email?
   • Unfortunately, this is how bad spammers verify email addresses. If the sender is a recognized company it’s probably okay to unsubscribe. If it’s not, just delete it. Under the new law, marketers are required to remove you from their lists within 10 days.
4. What is the CAN SPAM Act of 2003?
   • The CAN SPAM Act is the first federal law aimed at curbing the amount of unsolicited commercial email (spam) that is currently being sent.
   • It provides some guidelines for responsible email marketing and specifies penalties for egregious offenders.
   • The Act is scheduled to take effect in January 2004.
5. Will I see less spam because of it?
   • Unfortunately, no. Anonymous spammers (90+% of spam) will continue to do business as normal, at least for the near term.
   • Since they are hard to find, they don’t pay attention to the laws or best practices.
   • Any decrease will be largely due to increasing use of spam filters by ISPs and Network Administrators
     • The good news is they are blocking more bad spam.
     • The bad news is they are also blocking “good” commercial email from companies you have registered to receive email from (retailers, associations, etc.).
       • A recent report found that 75% of email tagged as spam was legitimate email.
       • You may not be receiving special offers, announcements or news that are of interest.
       • Check with your ISP to make sure they are not blocking important messages.
6. How can I reduce the amount of spam I receive?
• First, don't display your primary e-mail address in public.
  • Spammers use tools to collect valid addresses from Web pages and online directories. Create a secondary e-mail address for public correspondence.
• Consider using a desktop filtering program (e.g. spamnet), but remember to review blocked messages, as many valid messages will inevitably be blocked.
• Don’t submit information on shady websites.
  • If you do, review their privacy policy before submitting information.
  • The key word to look for is “Sharing” (if they share, don’t submit).
    ­ Be selective in how you unsubscribe.
  • If the sender is a recognized entity it’s okay to unsubscribe. If not, just delete it.
  • Under the new law, marketers are required to remove you from their lists within 10 days.
• Report spammers to uce[at]ftc.gov and to your ISP abuse@yourISP.com