Scams and Spam: Over the years I have become accustomed to receive 20 or 30 SPAM or SCAM messages every day but things are changing. Up until about two or three weeks ago the majority...

GARGLEBLASTER Loc: Spain

Over the years I have become accustomed to receive 20 or 30 SPAM or SCAM messages every day but things are changing.

Up until about two or three weeks ago the majority of SPAM messages dominated my inbox, mostly porn sites. Then things changed. The spam messages have disappeared completely and now I receive only SCAM messages as you can see from the screenshot.

Usually I just delete them but on this occasion I'm keepng them to see how many more will arrive before the porn sites start again.

Has anyone else had these changes?

(Download)

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Nope.
I get some, not a lot, then don't get some. It changes
Pray tell what email client are you using? Does it have spam filtering?
Your email was harvested somewhere and added to "their" list.
I don't go to a lot of places and/or sign up for anything. I'm very picky.
I've been getting more spam lately at a secondary, rarely used email address.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Our local community newspaper had an article this week of a lady that was scammed out of $8,500. She received a message telling her that the IRS would be coming to confiscate her property if she did not pay $8,500 owed in discovered back taxes in two days. The notice said that payment would only be accepted electronically paid at the link provided if she wanted to avoid the loss of her property and its contents.

I am not surprised by the extent and creativity of scammers. I am surprised at how often folks fall for those schemes.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I get a daily assortment, but not 20 or 30.

smussler Loc: Land O Lakes, FL - Formerly Miller Place, NY

I use email addresses that are not simply my name at provider name. So educated guesses, and what I think most spam algorithms just try to send mail to generally doesn't get much to me. I still get spam, but not a lot. I also have a "junk" email address smussler.tmp4@provider.com. I use that when a valid email is needed, but I don't want to provide them with the one I use for my every day normal activities. When it starts getting deluged I change the tmp4 part of the address. The only problem with the "oddball" email address - my wife and kids have to ask all the time what my email address is - when they don't have their phone in hand. I used to add my year of birth to my email addresses - stopped doing that years ago (when my wife had her identity stolen - no financial losses, just aggravating dealing with it.)

GARGLEBLASTER Loc: Spain

Longshadow wrote:

Nope.

Pray tell what email client are you using? Does it have spam filtering?

I use gmail and all the SCAMS and SPAMS go in to the SPAM box.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

GARGLEBLASTER wrote:

I use gmail and all the SCAMS and SPAMS go in to the SPAM box.

Amielee Loc: Eastern Washington State

I get 3 or 4 every day. A couple of weeks ago I unsubscribed from about a dozen sites I was receiving mail from and about 2 days later I started getting 3 or 4 porn e-mails. Had not received any of those for about 3 years then here they come. I think one of the unsubscribed sites is getting even, if I knew which one I would report it.

tramsey Loc: Texas

I Use gmail. It has a great spam bucket. If I don't recognize the sender that's where it goes. I don't open it just mark it as spam and never see it again

Telemarketers are still ringing my phone off the hook, at least a dozen a day. I have a blocker, it slows them down for a while but not for long. Why do they always call when you ae right in the middle of something you can't put down?

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

I use Gmail and Outlook & any messages that get through Gmail get caught by Outlook via rules I’ve setup. As far as phone calls, our cable system shows the number on our TV screen. If we don’t recognize the number, we let it go to voicemail. Then we just delete all the voicemails.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Amielee wrote:

I get 3 or 4 every day. A couple of weeks ago I unsubscribed from about a dozen sites I was receiving mail from and about 2 days later I started getting 3 or 4 porn e-mails. Had not received any of those for about 3 years then here they come. I think one of the unsubscribed sites is getting even, if I knew which one I would report it.

If one "unsubscribes" from a suspect site, especially in a garbage email, one gets on email lists.
I rarely subscribe to anything, definitely not questionable places.
I NEVER click "unsubscribe" in a spam email!

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

GARGLEBLASTER wrote:

I use gmail and all the SCAMS and SPAMS go in to the SPAM box.

Same with me. Gmail automatically sends them to a spam folder' Never see them in my main email. Go into it periodically and delete all

cdayton

My spam filters seem to work very well but now and then phishing expeditions do manage to get through. It’s more annoying that our cell phones now have to deal with spam - giving up the land line provided only a temporary respite (yes, I do know that the factory warranty on my 2004 Jag has lapsed).

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

cdayton wrote:

My spam filters seem to work very well but now and then phishing expeditions do manage to get through. It’s more annoying that our cell phones now have to deal with spam - giving up the land line provided only a temporary respite (yes, I do know that the factory warranty on my 2004 Jag has lapsed).

Yup, things get caught until a new "format"/content is created, then once learned, that will get caught also.
They can only catch what they know about.

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

I use Firefox as my browser. I have been using it for years. I have it set up so it does a very good job at catching scam and spam emails.
The few that do get thru, I report as spam or block them.
Like others have said, unsubscribing just lets spammers know they have found a valid email address.

Will