What exactly is spam email and why do I get so much of it?

I get a lot of spam e-mails. A lot! I don't even really understand what it is and why I am getting so much of it. Why do they have such weird names and why do they always involve some kind of medication, most often viagra?What exactly is spam email and why do I get so much of it?
Spam is basically bulk mail, done electronically. It's sent out to HUGE groups of people, most of whom did not request it.



The reason you get so much of it is because you gave your email address to someone who then sold it to someone else (potentially many other companies) who are now using it in ways you never intended.
Spam is unwanted mail that you did not ask for. It can be anything from chain letters to letters of lottery wins and sob stories attempting to get your money. To most people it is a total waste of time and energy, to be avoided if at all possible. There are many ways you can start getting spam, but you can start to control it.



You can not completely stop all spam, but you can help to put a big dent in it.

First, try not to open any of them, that only makes them send more and more to you.

Check mark them and click on 'Spam,' this should stop those addresses from being delivered to your inbox.

Use your spam filter and block address.

Look for the 'Options' link at upper right corner of mail screen and click on it



Options/ mail options / spam preferences

make sure spam guard is on, click on save changes



Options /mail options / blocked addresses

Enter the E-mail address you wish blocked and click on 'add block'

you will never get mail from that address again.

This should help you to control your spam.

Other tips:

Never open E-mail unless you are absolutely sure who it is from.

Never give out your personal information to anyone.

If you are on a site and you absolutely have to sign up for something, check the entire page to make sure you uncheck any lines wanting to send you any other info, notices, catalogs, ads, and the like.

Added detail:

Yes, spammers change one item in their addresses a lot, so you might try blocking the entire domain, by putting in

*@ thedomainyouwanttoblock.com

for instance: *@seeyou.com

Hope this helps.What exactly is spam email and why do I get so much of it?
Spam is computer generated.If you ever clicked on some thing that you might want to buy or down load,your e mail address is automatically put on a list and is shared.



I get about thirty a week,I just delete with out clicking.Mine started from Discovery channel.Some of them you can uninstall or take you e mail address off their list.Look for link to have it stopped.
When you type you email into a website or to download it or something, sometimes they just send spam. Just check them of and mark them as junk, then after a while they will all go to the junk folder because they are from the same sender.What exactly is spam email and why do I get so much of it?
In the top right hand corner of my Yahoo pages is a link to help.

The help is context specific. So find it on your mail page and check the mail help for guidance on spam.