Unfortunately, spam emails and text messages are now a part of everyday life. A recent email from a reader of The Berkshire Eagle asks: “I’m wondering why I keep getting so much spam when I don’t do much on the computer at all — just email some friends and order some stuff. I do not fill out guarantees or fill out our surveys except from the doctor’s office. Any suggestions? I have Bit Defender.”
Most of the junk is not criminal activity, but part of aggressive marketing by our internet providers and internet search engines. Companies such as Verizon, Consolidated, Comcast and Spectrum share information with their affiliates. Google, Twitter and Facebook are known to share data with advertisers and even sell contact information. Free services should make money somewhere and not by charging us fees. I often comment: “If you use the free service, you are not the customer; you are the product.”
Here are some ways to stop some of the waste:
• If it comes from a legitimate company, they usually include an “unsubscribe” link, which is a safe action if you’re positive the company isn’t fake or fraudulent. Positive verification is relatively easy. With a website, the URL (address) of the website must display the company name, spelled correctly, with “.com” immediately after the name. Note: Scammers use misspelled names or include a real company name somewhere in the address to trick you: “www.walmartdeal.com” or “www.walmartt.com.”
• If you cannot verify the sender’s legitimacy, do not click “unsubscribe”. This lets the sender know that YOU are a real person and decide to receive more junk. The simple act of clicking a link can provide information to the website creator such as your location, the type of computer being used, the identification of the web browser being used, the type of computer operating system and even identify your specific address of the computer. Also, resist the temptation to download documents if you do not fully know the sender.
• Notify your Internet service provider of spam messages and ask how they can be filtered. In many cases, they can filter or at least predict malicious websites or emails and alert you.
• If you are receiving junk from the same sender, you can adjust your email program’s settings or preferences and create a rule that moves any messages from this name or address to the trash. This won’t stop messages, but it will move them to the trash when they arrive, so you won’t see them in your inbox. I don’t use PC or Outlook, but if your email address is Microsoft (@msn.com), the software offers filtering to deal with spam, as virtually all email programs do.
But email software features are not the same for all programs. Apple is very good and useful if you are using Apple Mail. Other computer companies will refer you to the specific software provider, so if you use Microsoft Outlook, you will need to contact Microsoft customer service. Another source for help is to contact the place where you purchased the computer.
Malware and virus protection programs like BitDefender deal with malware and viruses, not spam or fraudulent websites. Regardless of your computer’s operating system, Apple, Chrome, Windows, you should keep your protection software subscription up to date to protect against newly developed malware (Note: Apple devices are not immune.)
Often, we become willing accomplices of criminals or victims of aggressive and deceptive marketing. This is where human nature comes in. Offers of expensive prizes simply for completing a survey, high-return investments, emotional appeals, extreme scarcity, authority/credibility, or urgent situations break down our defenses and open us up to victimization. Regardless of the message, especially when it comes from a stranger, step back and think. Let logic and reason guide your actions online.
Questions, concerns? Contact me, [email protected].
Elliott Greenblott is an educator and retired coordinator of the AARP Vermont Fraud Watch Network. He hosts a CATV program, Mr. Scammer, distributed by GNAT-TV in Sunderland, VT – www.gnat-tv.org
