How to stop web site from gaining your email address???

[Riv]

Question? - When one say... browses the internet using Win XP one often then finds spam email arriving at one's email account even though the IE browser only has been used.

How can a person stop or prevent their email address being accessed?

The email program was not used but there appears to be easy viewing (by the web site you look at) of your email address just using your browser.

All security settings are at their highest, firewalls used, anti-popups and anti-spam programs are in use yet still one's email address appears to be easily gained.

 

[six3077]

There is only one thing certain in life and that is SPAM.
There are tons of uitilites out there that can block most, but never all of it.
Be careful where you pass out your email address.
I suggest using an alternative email address when signing up for things, one that isn't business, family or friend related.
Maybe it is what you practice now, but let's say 1 year ago you signed up to join some forum. You signed up with your usual email but now that is something you would never do.....your email is out there....somewhere.
Other times spam is hit or miss, random strings of letters, numbers.
Other times it is associates that have u in their address book, and they have spyware on their systems, which spam ever contact they have.
The list is endless. It has nothing to do with a specific o/s, other than windows products are quite popular, which therefore indicates more spyware, etc is written to work within a windows shell.
If linux was as popular for the everday user, trust me, we would see all that crap for those o/s's as well.

Just delete the spam, don't read it, don't click 'please take of mailing list' (which lets them know they reached somebody=100X more)

I've heard of somebody doing this before and I thought it was kind of funny. You could look at the header of the email, find out where it came from (isp service), locate any 'contact us' email address and copy it. Then visit the spammers page (not by click any spam link....type it in yourself). And sign the isp emails up to these spam lists. While this does not solve the problem, it might be a good kick start for the isp to run some better configured servers.

 

[bcastner]

I do not think your email address is exposed by your browser.

Do this: sign up for one of the many free email accounts on the web. Do not make any browser entry for this new account.

Check your new email account in a week. It will be full of spam.

 

[Msharkey]

Try this for spam counter measures

http://www.mailinator.com/mailinator/Welcome.do

Get enough SPAM lately? Have you ever gone to a website that asks for your email for no reason (other than they are going to sell your email address to the highest bidder so you get spam forever)?

Welcome to Mailinator(tm) - Its no signup, instant email. Here is how it works: You are on the web, at a party, or talking to your favorite insurance salesman. Wherever you are, someone (or some webpage) asks for your email. You know if you give it, you'll be on their spam list. On the other hand, you do want at least one message from that person. The answer is to give them a mailinator address. You don't need to sign-up. You just make it up on the spot. Pick jonesy@mailinator.com or bipster@mailinator.com - pick anything you want (up to 15 characters before the @ sign).

Later, come to this site and check that account. Its that easy. Mailinator accounts are created when mail arrives for them. No signup, no personal information, and when you're done - you can walk away - an instant solution to one way spammers get your address. The emails will automatically be deleted for you after a few hours.

Let'em spam.

 

[carrr]

Riv,

You have to realize that a lot of SPAM shows up in your mailbox based upon the ease with which spammers were able to generate your email address. Granted, many spammers harvest email addresses entered on the web - though not by drive-by methods. However, many employee easier methods.
Spammers set up servers that do nothing but attempt to send email to hundreds of thousands of possible addresses. They'll latch onto @hotmail.com, for example, and fire away until they've exhausted possible logical combinations. Thus, someone using a rather disingenuous address like jsmith@hotmail.com will get a lot more SPAM traffic than someone using a username such as x000hootenanny1400x@hotmail.com

"'Tis an ill wind that blows no minds." - Malaclypse the Younger