Suddenly lots of junk mail
#944649
03/13/14 03:13 PM
03/13/14 03:13 PM
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Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 5,896 California
Pokey
OP
BAAG Specialist
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OP
BAAG Specialist
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 5,896
California
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I've never had much of a problem with junk mail, but two weeks ago, I began getting bout 8-10 a day. The are mostly similar--just a line or two of text and a link. Subjects such as DrOz, weight loss, re-fi etc. I think they are sales pitches though I don't click on the link. I set up a junk folder and they stream in there when I open up my Thunderbird mail. I'm wondering what caused it since I don't give out my email, except to reputable sites. Perhaps due to hacking of the site (Steam, Tap-Repeatedly), or maybe a site sold a list of emails? If anyone has a better idea of what is going on, I'd like to hear it.
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Re: Suddenly lots of junk mail
[Re: Pokey]
#944654
03/13/14 03:23 PM
03/13/14 03:23 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,369 United Kingdom
Mad
Sonic Boomer
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Sonic Boomer
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,369
United Kingdom
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I don't have that problem with email but certainly DO suffer an inordinate amount of unsolicited postal stuff. Mainly appeals for money from registered charites - some of which I have supported. And I'm pretty sure that my having donated is the cause because I know from enquiries I've made myself that charities DO pass details of supporters to each other. Something of which I totally disapprove
Time : The Most Precious Commodity
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Re: Suddenly lots of junk mail
[Re: Pokey]
#944657
03/13/14 03:26 PM
03/13/14 03:26 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,096 Near St. Louis, MO
Draclvr
Reviews Editor - Hints/Glitches Mod - Site Support
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Reviews Editor - Hints/Glitches Mod - Site Support
True Blue Boomer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,096
Near St. Louis, MO
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What do you use for an email account? If it's Yahoo, I deal with that all the time on computers I work on. I get virtually no spam, but I use an email client - Windows Live Mail - set up with my ISP which has a very good spam filter.
Once again, weeds are my life!
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Re: Suddenly lots of junk mail
[Re: Pokey]
#944658
03/13/14 03:34 PM
03/13/14 03:34 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,293 Rivellon
traveler
Addicted Boomer
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Addicted Boomer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,293
Rivellon
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Pokey,
Sometimes people troll forums and collect email addresses. Yahoo forums were particularly bad about that back when I was on a couple. Usually they do it to promote their own interests, like directing you to a site that pitches the benefits of something like organic food or meds, but it's just as possible they are selling those email addresses without caring who they sell them to.
I'll say right here that Gameboomers has never been one of those trolled sites and I'm 100% positive that GB would never sell a list of members.
Linked In is one that drives me nuts. I get emails asking me to "link" to somebody I've never even heard of and if I'm in a particularly bad mood, I respond by letting them know how much I really want to join their circle of thousands without, however, linking in.
Those reputable sites can lose their rep with me instantly and sometimes do when they presume, on the strength of my visiting often over the years. to send me an email like the ones you describe. Honestly, either they're suddenly desperate for visitors or they're unaware of how paranoid we've all become about clicking on links that were never solicited.
Gil.
"Best not to think about it. I don't want to fall to bits 'cos of excess existential thought."
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Re: Suddenly lots of junk mail
[Re: Pokey]
#944664
03/13/14 04:49 PM
03/13/14 04:49 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,369 United Kingdom
Mad
Sonic Boomer
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Sonic Boomer
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,369
United Kingdom
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I also use Thunderbird, Pokey, but I get very little junk mail. Mine gets filtered out by Yahoo beforehand.
[I do regularly go check on the junk (at Yahoo) to make sure no genuine mail has been filtered, of course.]
Time : The Most Precious Commodity
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Re: Suddenly lots of junk mail
[Re: Pokey]
#944665
03/13/14 05:25 PM
03/13/14 05:25 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,096 Near St. Louis, MO
Draclvr
Reviews Editor - Hints/Glitches Mod - Site Support
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Reviews Editor - Hints/Glitches Mod - Site Support
True Blue Boomer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,096
Near St. Louis, MO
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When you see those, delete ASAP... 99.9999% of the time those links take you someplace that has nothing to do with the subject of the email. I have gotten them from friends whose email accounts at Yahoo or Hotmail have been hacked too. Normally a change of password fixes that.
You may get them for awhile and they may go away after a couple of weeks. I got slammed by spam about 5 years ago - over 2,000 of them overnight - which were all caught at my ISP spam filter. They helped me get rid of all of them and I never had a problem again.
Once again, weeds are my life!
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Re: Suddenly lots of junk mail
[Re: Pokey]
#945747
03/20/14 11:04 AM
03/20/14 11:04 AM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,096 Near St. Louis, MO
Draclvr
Reviews Editor - Hints/Glitches Mod - Site Support
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Reviews Editor - Hints/Glitches Mod - Site Support
True Blue Boomer
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,096
Near St. Louis, MO
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I sure hope it stays that way!
Once again, weeds are my life!
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