Wish There Were A Federal
“Do Not Spam List”?

Contributed by Elaine Landau

If you are new to the Internet or are a seasoned user, spam is a real concern. If you do not use the Internet and are uncomfortable with e-mails, should you avoid them altogether? Sure, if you want the global marketplace and all that business to go to somebody else. So that we are all on the same playing field, let’s start at the beginning.

Educate yourself to understand the Internet, e-mail, and spam.
Education is convenient, cost-effective, and you can learn at home. If you have basic computer education the next logical step is to explore basic Internet training. After one free Internet lesson or a free Internet tutorial, you’ll be ready to log on and open the door to all that the Internet has to offer. Please keep in mind that the door swings both ways. When you log onto sites, they are gaining information about you while you are exploring them. Soon, your name ends up on lists that are bought, sold, and rented for e-mail campaigns. Some are quite legitimate, and some are dangerous. Before you open your next e-mail asking for help, make sure you know who is doing the asking. If you are being deluged with unwanted e-mails and bogus offers, you are experiencing the “joy” of unwanted spam. Thousands and thousands of unwanted messages are sent to active e-mail accounts by legitimate marketing firms and by predators looking to steal pertinent personal information. Unfortunately, there is no sure-fire way of knowing which is which. So we are all potential victims. The best way to avoid problems is to avoid spam altogether. That is easier said than done.

Is there hope for the spam-challenged?
We’ve all heard or read the promises. Just submit your e-mail address and spam e-mail will be reduced or eliminated. Somehow, it doesn’t happen. How come?

Chances are you just submitted your e-mail to a smart marketer, cheesy predator, or well-meaning but ineffective grass roots political group trying to reduce spam e-mails. There is no national “Do Not Spam List,” even though one is sorely needed.

Since the “Do Not Call List” has been in existence since 2003, many active Internet users and e-mail proponents thought that a “Do Not Spam List” was close behind. Unfortunately, the experts at the Federal Trade Commission do not believe that a spam registry would be effective at fighting spam e-mail. In fact, some FTC attorneys believe such a comprehensive list would make things far worse.

FTC attorneys actually fear that illegal spammers would use the registry as a mailing list. Imagine how convenient it would be for the bad guys to have the FTC send a list of do not spam e-mails to predators. All the names of people who have live/active e-mail addresses at their fingertips, how could they resist? The FTC actually warns people not to submit their names to any entity claiming to be creating a do not spam list. That is an invitation to more problems.

There is a legitimate concern with any e-mail campaign or web site that claims to offer a national do not e-mail registry. It could very well be a high-tech scam to entice users to submit personal information that could be stolen by expert predators. Unfortunately, there are no mechanisms in place to stop legitimate web sites from selling or renting names and e-mail addresses to less than reputable entities. So it isn’t only the bogus web sites and scammers who are part of the epidemic of online identity thefts.

If you have already submitted your name and e-mail address to a do not spam registry, you may already be vulnerable to future e-mail scams and identity theft. If you can, look up the e-mail or web site that received your information and send it to the FTC at spam@uce.gov and file a complaint with FTC–File Complaint. Visit FTC–Identity Theft Resources; you will discover information on how to minimize the damage if you are an identity theft victim.

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