E-Mail Forwarding

Do you receive and send e-mails that are forwarded with many e-mail addresses in the heading?

These addresses are being forwarded around the globe and make us all vulnerable to viruses, excessive junk mail and spammers. 

As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds and builds.  If any of the recipients gets a virus on his/her computer, this virus sends itself to every e-mail address on the computer including the ones in the forwarded e-mail messages. Also, any enterprising individual can take all the addresses and send them junk mail or sell the addresses to spammers!

So, take a minute or two to forward e-mails correctly.  To clean up an e-mail:

  1. Click the Forward button in order to have editing capabilities (you can’t edit an original e-mail).
  2. Delete all addresses in the header by selecting them (click and drag the cursor over the addresses to highlight), then press the Delete key on your keyboard.
  3. Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, always place their addresses in the “Bcc” (Blind Carbon Copy) box.

    If the Bcc option does not show on your screen, click on the View menu at the top of the screen and select All Headers (you must be in a New, Reply, or Forward message for this to display).
  4. Click in the Subject box and delete any “FW/FWDs”. You can even type in a new subject if you wish.
  5. While you are in the process of editing the e-mail, it is a good time to remove any of those “Send this to 10 friends” messages.
  6. In the “To” box, type in your own email address

    For extra safety, you can create an “Undisclosed Recipients” address: Click on the Tools menu at the top of the screen, click on Address Book. Click the New button and select New Contact. Type “undisclosed” in the First: field. Type “Recipients” in the Last: field . Type your own e-mail address under E-Mail Addresses. Click Add, and then click OK.

 

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e-Mail attachments with a number of pages

Please use the final page for the above forwarding process. Many people will not open all those pages for fear of getting a virus (justified fear!) So, your message goes unread by those who like to play it safe!

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Petitions via e-mail

They sate a position and ask you to add your name and address and then Forward it to everyone in your Address Book. This email forwarded on and on can collect thousands of names and e-mail addresses. This completed petition is worth money to a professional spammer because of the many valid names and e-mail addresses.

If you want to support the petition, copy it and send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. It will carry more weight and you will be respecting the privacy of your e-mail contacts.

 

Want to learn more about PC basics?  Go to PC Help, Computer Training for links to basic training.