Some Tips For Safe Email Use

• When viewing your inbox, first scan the From and Subject fields.  If you don't recognize the sender's name or email address, and/or the subject,  don't even open the email.  Mark it for deletion with a check mark or whatever method your email program provides, and then click 'Delete'.

• Do not turn on the option to preview your email before opening it, as this may trigger malicious code that is designed to launch 'on open'.

• Beware of any emails purporting to be from your bank or credit card that ask you to follow a link in the email to update your information.  This scam is called 'phishing'.  Real banks and credit card issuers have all agreed they will never request information this way.  If you want to check your information, log in to your bank's website securely, the way you normally would, and follow the links to check your personal profile.

• Many email programs have options for you to tailor a spam filter to be more or less restrictive.  Look for a button or link called 'Options' or 'Email settings', and follow the navigation path for Spam or Junk Mail.  If you don't quite understand what the setting will do, make a note of any changes you make, so that if you don't like the result, you will know what to undo.

• If you repeatedly get spam from the same sender, most email programs provide a way for you to add the offender to your 'blocked senders' list.  (See above item for how to find.)

• Have two email addresses:  use your main  one for family and friends, banks, and other official online accounts you may have.   Set up another free account with a service such as Yahoo, Google, or Hotmail, and use that for websites or other entry forms that require you to give an email address, but that you won't be transacting business with.  Even with this strategy, you will still get  junk email, but it should be considerably less.

• Protect your contacts' email addresses.  When sending mail to a group of contacts such as an association, place one address  (such as your own) in the 'To:' field, and put all the others in the 'Bcc:'  (blind carbon copy) field.  That way, no one will see who else received the email. Plus, recipients will not have to scroll past a long list of addresses.

• This list of safe email tips could go on and on.   If you have a specific question or issue, please submit it via the contact page, or give us a call.