With so much spam out there, how can you keep your inbox free from clutter? You might try an add-on anti-spam program. Although your email client probably comes with some built-in spam filtering, an add-on program enhances your system's ability to identify spam and prevent it from infiltrating your mailbox.

When deciding whether or not to buy one of these add-on filters, consider a few questions:

How Much Spam Do You Get?

If you use your computer rarely, you may not get much spam. Check out your inbox. Is it usually free of spam? If so, your built-in filters may be enough spam protection for you.

Unfortunately, most of us use our computers on a regular basis and have fallen prey to spammers. Observe your inbox for a week or two and keep a log handy to record how much spam appears along with your legitimate email. Be sure to check your bulk mail folder for false positives as well. A false positive is a message identified by spam filters as a spam email even though it is from a legitimate or known source.

When you have your week-long results, look at the numbers. Are you missing important messages due to false positives? Is there an irritating number (even a few is irritating) of spam messages in your inbox? Do they contain offensive content? In most cases, an add-on spam filter could easily and cheaply clear up these problems.

What Type of Email Do You Get?

Spammers’ lists are filled with email addresses. If you subscribe to newsletters or participate in chat rooms or web groups, your address is a likely target. After signing up for these types of email, get ready for the spam invasion. Consider purchasing an add-on program to defend your inbox before the attack.

How Much Fraud Protection Do You Have?

Some of the best add-on anti-spam programs offer additional features for flagging and destroying phishing scams or other fraudulent messages. So many phishing scams pose as legitimate business emails that this protection is vital. Phishing scams are the most dangerous type of spam out there. Whether they pose as bank notices, PayPal messages, or eBay communication, phishing scams can hit your wallet and your well-being.

Check out your email client and see if it offers fraud protection. If your built-in filters consistently miss these emails and they end up in your inbox, you need fraud protection. Just opening one of these messages by mistake could compromise your system.

Test Drive

Once you decide to give an add-on filter a try, take advantage of free trials offered by vendors to test the program against your needs. Be sure to do your homework. The filter must be compatible with your operating system, such as Windows or Mac, and your email client, such as Outlook or Eudora. No program can keep spam out 100% of the time, but an add-on anti-spam program can keep most of the junk where it belongs.

Amy Durham is a full-time freelance writer specializing in business, IT, home decorating, gardening, and inspirational writing. Her work has appeared in Facility Manager, InStore, The Source, First Home, D Magazine, Texas Family Magazine, and several online publications. As an expert author, she ghostwrites original articles for website content, newsletters, blogs, and e-zines. She is also the author of an online inspirational course for writers and several e-books. Please visit her website http://www.MooJuiceMedia.com

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