Scams to collect or confirm your email address

Do not reply, unless you WANT to give them your confirmed email address...

Ever wondered how people get your email address?  One way is simple - they use 'harvesting' software to trawl the world wide web pages - find @ signs, and, hey presto, they have millions of email addresses. Some CDs of address lists are compiled in this way. These can be sold to people who like to "spam" - or send genuine unsolicited commercial email (UCE).

Since I installed Norton Personal Firewall, I have been amazed at how many emails that arrive as a "web page" are being used to collect my email address.   They don't get mine because Norton Personal Firewall allows me to "block" sending email addresses to the requesting website.

I recommend you install Norton Personal Firewall.

One problem for the spammers is that the email addresses are not confirmed, so this type of business would like you to CONFIRM that your email is correct and that it is ACTIVE.  So, a company who is doing this just for the email-list business, or selling email addresses as a side-line revenue, may send you an innocuous email which ends with something like...

"If you do not wish to receive this regular free report, simply reply and type REMOVE in the subject box, to listmanager@aaaaaaaaa.com 
Thank you."

The only reason they want you to reply is to turn the "possible" email address they have for you, into a "confirmed and active" email address, which is much more saleable!  If you don't want them to gain from confirming your email address, simply delete the email.