Free Spam Blockers - Can I Get Anti-Spam Software For Free?

Spam is unsolicited bulk email. It is typically an identical email sent in mass mailings used to promote a service or product or to propagate a virus. Some spam is actually fraudulent. The people sending the spam (known as spammers) use false contact information to set up their email accounts . The spammers then send out mass emails, making false claims in order to solicit money from the recipients. The infamous Nigerian 419 scam is an example of fraudulent spam.
A lot of businesses use spam as a marketing tool. Not all commercial email is spam, since some recipients may have willingly chosen to receive promotional mailings. Still, a lot of companies do resort to spam, and use several different tactics to get away with this. Some hire a third to send out messages, that way they don't have to deal with complaints or other problems resulting from the spam. Some "spoof" their email address, which is a process that hides the real email address, covering it up with a fake email address chosen by the spammer. Spammers are increasingly using virus-infected computers to send their spam for them. A recent study showed that 80% of spam was sent by these infected computers.
Not only is spam an annoying thing to have to deal with, it is also illegal in a lot of cases. Almost all internet service providers have an acceptable use policy in which sending spam is not allowed. If they catch a user sending spam, they can terminate the account and take legal action if necessary. According to the Can-Spam Act of 2003, spam is allowed as long as the subject line is true and there is no false information in the headers or sender address. If the email does not meet this criteria, it is considered to be illegal spam.
The problem is that it's nearly impossible for an email user to track down every spammer and prosecute them. And as long as the spammer meets the requirements of the Can-Spam Act, there is really nothing a spam victim can do. The best way to deal with spam is to block it from ever arriving in your inbox in the first place. Several popular anti-virus programs offer spam-blocking tools which are quite effective at removing spam. If you are looking for a free spam-blocker, there are plenty of those programs available as well. Many free programs offer the same level of protection as the paid programs, and can be even more efficient and easy to use. So if you are on a limited budget, a free spam blocker is definitely a good option to choose.

By Leroy West