Genealogy Chat

What can I do now, these not very nice e-mails keep coming in and I have been blocking the sender and then deleting them, and they return. So tonight I have been bouncing them back to their sender, but guess what I am getting them back as undeliverable mail, address unknown. I have Norton Anti Virus, and it is updated, also a Systemec check. These have really just started since my partner downloaded IncrediMail. Has anyone got anymore suggestions, please? Diane........

Hi Diane I have had Incredimail for months and had no problem --I hope I'm not speaking too soon!! Ann,Darlington

Have you seen the Back Shortly thread of Paul Pearce-Smith...some tips on there about spam e-mails. Dierdre X

I had the same problem with emails. I managed to put a block on and got the amount down to 20. Now Bt have gone to Yahoo Broad band and I am getting 50 in the spam folder and still manage to get 4 in accepted mail box. I know never to click on them but unfortunately the first one which is usualy porn open straight away. I found I got more when I blocked the sender my only advice is to delete with out opening more than that I can`t say. Mary

I too have used incredimail for some months with no problem. If you block the sender Diane they should be deleted automatically. Are they coming back from another route? By the way I have just bought Computer Shopper today which has the McAffee spam blocker on it (Full Version). haven't tried it yet but might be worth a go as as their stuff is usually among the best ( I also have mailwasher which is free to download), Bob

The problem with blocking the sender is that the sender usually changes his e-mail address by a letter or a number so they can continue sending their annoying spam. IncridiMail does add spyware to your computer and more than likely have given your e-mail address out when you signed up....which would explain all the recent influx of spam. Judy

Don't unsubscribe. All it does is tell spammers you check your account regularly - so you'll only encourage them. Don't block senders, it does nothing. They use an address once, or for a week, or a month, then they change it. It's better to block keywords in the subject line. Then anything with 'viagra' or 'XXX' won't get through!

From Incredimails privacy policy.. "Is IncrediMail spyware? No, it is not. IncrediMail does not install any PC surveillance tools, capture keystrokes, log your communications, etc. Our business and revenue model has nothing to do with using your personal information in a harmful or deceitful manner. In fact, the IncrediMail team is adamantly against that kind of behavior and therefore, does not violate the privacy policy and agreement with our customers. Does IncrediMail install anything else other than IncrediMail products on users' computers? Absolutely not. The only software installed on any user's computer is IncrediMail and its supplementary program, the Letter Creator. IncrediMail does not install any third-party software. Will IncrediMail provide my personal information to third parties? Absolutely not. We are committed to making IncrediMail users feel safe and comfortable when sending/receiving e-mail. Therefore, IncrediMail does not and will not provide user's personal identifiable information it has collected to any third party (including advertisers and direct marketers) without the user's permission. IncrediMail may on occasion share usage information for statistical purposes in aggregate anonymous (non-personally identifiable) form, with advertisers or other third parties. Will I receive spam from IncrediMail? No. When you register to IncrediMail you are asked if you would like to receive email updates and IncrediMail special offers. Only users that install IncrediMail with the indication that they would like to receive updates will receive the IncrediMail Newsletter and other special updates. In addition, each email from IncrediMail includes an "unsubscribe" option, thus allowing you to halt your subscription at any time. IncrediMail does not collect users' personal information and use it to send advertisements and other unsolicited mail. So, how does IncrediMail make money? IncrediMail relies on two platforms to make an income; 1) the sale of its software products and 2) advertisement via the Status Window in the application and on the Web site." If the problem was Incredimail I would have thought it would affect other users. I am quite happy with it. Outlook Express by being the most popular e- mail client naturally attracts more attacks. If we judge all software by the results of Anti spyware programs then perhaps we shouldn't be on GC as Ad-Aware found "Spyware" from them on my PC. Bob

Bob: What a company posts on it's website does not make what they are claiming true. True, the IncrediMail is not a spyware program in itself, but it ABSOLUTELY does place spyware on your computer. One of the pieces is for anonymous user data. Spyware Nuker claims it puts nothing on your computer, too. I've run both Adaware and Spyware Nuker together with Adaware picking up Spyware Nuker spyware. Spyware found nothing that Adaware added. And it's been mentioned on other threads on Genes Connected message boards, that yes, GC does indeed add a tracking cookie, Redstar, to ones computer. You are one of the lucky ones who haven't had problems since using IncrediMail. One piece of spyware on your computer usually doesn't cause problems. Even having several pieces of spyware doesn't. But when your computer is loaded with it, it does. It is a fact that Incredimail, as well as other programs obtained for free on the internet, do add spyware. As part of my computer business, I spend a good deal of time removing and repairing the things these programs can and do, do to ones computer so I know first hand of what I am talking about. You've obviously not ever received an invoice from a PC repair company. They charge upwards of $60.00 dollars or more an hour, plus parts. It's absurd the amount of money I make repairing something that was caused at the hands marketers on the internet. When people are educated about their computers, trips to the repair shop are few and far between. One shouldn't have to pay someone to repair a computer because unscupulous sites are placing spyware on your computer and banking on the fact that most people are not aware of it. Without programs, such as Adaware, that finds and removes spyware, there would not be many computers out there that would be running efficiently, some not at all, which is often the case when a computer is loaded with spyware. As for judging software on what Adaware finds, I'll bet my money on Adaware everytime. Reputable software companies do not use spyware. Sites placing cookies is another story. (Spyware added by programs and spyware cookies are two different animals....same family though.) Judy

For what it is worth I am 100% behind Judy on this one. There are some useful free programs that pay their way by installing spyware on their clients (your) computers. If they are up front about it and you understand what is going on that is fine but many (most) of these companies bury the stuff about what they are going to install deep in the terms and conditions and use legalistic gobbledegook to mislead you. There are many programs available for a very moderate cost which dont do any of this. I recently installed a neat little program that cleans up my registry and it cost less than a tenner. Very good value in my opinion. If you want a free e-mail client that doesnt do anything nasty, blocks nearly all spam and can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world what's wrong with good old h o t m a i l. That's what I use and my spam intake is minute. Bob

I have a BT block on my SPAM which does seem to have reduced the number although some get through but nowhere near what I did have. Ysterday I checked my bt account going straight to the site through btopenworld rather than downloading through Outlook Express and there were 307 SPAM in the file since January 14th that had been stopped so it does work to a large extent. I have tried the message blocking system whereby certain words, phrases etc. are blocked but within hours this seems to have been worked out as then, rather than Viagra I get V.I.A.G.R.A. I never open or unsubscribe as I know this can be tracked.

Judy/ Bob. While I don’t disagree with a cautious approach, I do think there has to be a balance, not everything on the net is riddled with malicious software. If every time someone recommends a site or download we have the “don’t do it ! your computer will explode!” approach then we might as well turn off the computer and watch Eastenders ( or US equivalent ), While spyware is not illegal as such (to my knowledge) falsely describing a product is, in the UK at least. I will attempt to quiz IM about this, Judy. The whole problem is sorting the bad from the good. If you read the other thread you know I agree about Spyware Nuker. Here is a good example of something doing the opposite of what it claims to. As to e-mail, on the one hand we have the problem of spam but then we have the over zealous approach of AOL, effectively blocking valid e-mail. (anyway Bill Gates has said he will eliminate spam within two years so we won’t have a problem ! ) I don’t know the solution , if I did I would be working for Microsoft or Norton. I suppose our best real defence at this side of the keyboard is to have discourse like this. Best Wishes Bob

One of the tips is NEVER put your email address on the internet. There are litle robots that go looking for email addresses. But frequently the mail is sent out blanket style with them just guessing at email addresses. I put one address on my website and within a day I was getting messages saying I had a virus as the address was being used to send virus out to people. I currently get about 200 spam messages a day! This is an extreme, and mailny because until recently I ran a very active footie website that unfortunately added so much spyware to my computer it virtually gorund to a halt! As to incredimail - I love it! Thats all I have to say about that lol As above, the best thing is to invest in a good spamblocker. I use Cloudmark and know that I am helping others to get rid of the worst offenders. I still get some coming through but thats Internet life! Babs

I too love IM Barbara . The notifiers are brilliant. Just a question, sometimes I will get one, I click on the mail and can't find anything? Bob

I use Fastmail for my email. It has an option to "Bounce" any unwanted mail so it appears to the sender that your email address does not exist. This should stop any further mail from that source. Derek.

I have just logged on and seen all those replies to my dilemma and I'd just like to say thank you everyone for your help and I am going to check them out now. When I opened my Outlook Express e-mail system I had 17 e-mails to block send and delete this morning. Thanks again. Best wishes Diane.....

Hi everyone, After reading most of your replies, it seems that you have the same e-mails as I do eg. Viagra/Body part enlargements and also a new Diet one. I have never had any of these before,as I said previously it is just since we started using IncrediMail. We are on NTL Broadband here in South Wales. I just really get fed up of deleting them, and I'm afraid I accidentally click on one and open a can of worms, just like my partner did last year. We received an e-mail supposedly from Microsoft, I held on to it for about three days ( I wish I had of deleted it there and then ) but I asked my partner to have a look and see what he thinks, but unfortunately he opened it up, hundreds of mail came in, we just couldn't keep up with it all. In the end down to the workshop it went, and we have been o.k. no rubbish coming through until now. I apologise for going on. Regards Diane........