There is no way to totally prevent spam, but here are some precautions that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of spammers getting your email address:
- Be careful who you give your email address to. This includes websites and anyone you might email.
- Create and use disposable email addresses to sign up for websites or services that you do not absolutely trust.
- Be sure not to open spam when you do receive it.
- Make sure your computer and computers on your network are virus and malware free.
- Make sure your website is free of malware and security vulnerabilities. If you are using a third party script or code on your site, this usually means running the latest secure version.
- Use secure passwords for your email and hosting account to prevent hackers from guessing and logging in.
- If your friends are sending you emails sent to a large recipient list, request that they use BCC instead of TO or CC, so that other recipients cannot see your email address; or request they stop including you if you do not want to receive the emails.
- Do not list your email address on your website or anywhere the public can access it.
By using these precautions you can greatly mitigate what spam you do receive and prevent most spam from ever happening.
