Unfortunately, once your email is on a spammer’s email list, there’s no real
way to get it off. Even with legislation being passed, there’s no real legal
recourse available. Your best option is to start over and guard your email
address like you would a family heirloom.
Legality Issues of Spam
While current legislation may not be able to stop spam, there are some
messages that can and should be reported to government officials.
Fraud. If you receive
a spam that is proffering obviously fraudulent offers, you can report them
to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The FTC has gone after spammers in
the past. But a word of caution, the FTC has enough to do without having
to investigate spurious or spiteful claims. If you truly feel that you
have a legitimate example of fraud, forward the message to uce@ftc.gov.
The FBI also has an Internet Fraud
Center (www.ifccfbi.gov).
Stock fraud is another reportable offense. Spam
messages that laud the qualities of certain stocks in the hopes of driving up
the price are forms of the Pump and Dump scam. Spammers will drive up the price
of stocks, and, when the prices rise, they will sell—or “dump”—their shares,
leaving you with stock that you lose money on. You can report such incidences
to enforcement@sec.gov.
The Nigerian Scam.
You’ve probably received the message before. A politician or his family in
Nigeria,
or some other unstable foreign country, needs your help to bring his
millions to the States after being ousted from his country. If you give
him your bank account numbers he’ll be able to transfer the money and, as
a way to thank you for your help, he’ll cut you in. Whatever the
variation, the story is basically the same, and so is the purpose behind
it: someone needs your bank account numbers.
If you think it through, you’ll surely see how
foolish it would be to send anyone your bank account numbers. Why would someone
contact John Doe living in North Dakota
instead of a reputable international currency trader? Forward these spams with
the subject “NO LOSS” to 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov. If you have been taken in by
such a scam, you can contact the U.S. Secret Service and they may be able to
help.