ANTI-SPAM RESOURCE CENTER - DEFINITIONS AND WHAT TO DO

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Yahoo Anti-Spam Resource Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions and answers regarding spam.

Certified Mail
· The Truth about Certified Mail and Yahoo Mail

Spam
· What is Yahoo's anti-spam and abuse policy?
· What is spam?
· Why am I getting spam?
· What is Yahoo doing to fight spam?
· What about spam that has viruses?

Yahoo! Mail Anti-Spam Features
· What is SpamGuard?
· What is SpamGuard Plus?
· What is the Bulk folder?
· Why do some non-spam messages end up in my Bulk folder?
· What is AddressGuard™?
· Can I view only those messages from people in my Yahoo Mail Address Book?
· How can I avoid spam?

Phishing
· What is a "phishing" scam?
· What do I do if I get an email asking for my personal information?

Avoiding Spammer Tricks
· How can I protect myself against tricks spammers use?
· How can I avoid spam?

More questions about spam?

Spam Q & A

The Truth about Certified Mail and Yahoo Mail

If you've seen some of the recent media and blog headlines about the introduction of "Email Postage Fees from Yahoo and AOL," you may be more than a bit confused. Frankly, there is a ton of misinformation out there, and we'd like to help clear it up.

Here is some background on what Yahoo! is planning and why.
· There will be no postage fee for email users. Yahoo Mail users will continue to have the same free Web mail experience they enjoy today, and email senders will be able to send messages in exactly the same way that they have been, with no charge. We will continue to deliver the messages our users want and value. Period.
· In the coming months, we will focus the certified mail program on "transactional" email messages such as bank statements and purchase receipts and, as announced in this release, we are partnering with Goodmail Systems to do so. Identity theft scams (or "phishing" attacks) frequently mimic these types of messages. By highlighting the legitimate transactional messages, we think our users will have a better chance to avoid these scams.
· Our filtering and delivery policies for the billions of messages we process each day will not change. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, there is not now, nor has there ever been, any intention to automatically route any mail which isn't "certified" into your Bulk folder.
· Spammers are not welcome. Goodmail has a technique to prevent spammers from signing up for this system, and we will maintain a feedback loop with Goodmail to ensure both that this system is not abused and that senders act on your unsubscribe requests.
· This is just one small part of a multifaceted approach that Yahoo employs to protect our users from email abuse. Reputation and accreditation services, such as those provided by Goodmail, complement other programs we have in place to keep you safe from spam and phishing.
· Yahoo has been and remains a major proponent of email authentication, having invented DomainKeys. As you may know, we chose to make DomainKeys available royalty free to the industry, and are currently working with the IETF on the new DKIM standard. This technology will continue to be a core component of our delivery system, including playing a vital role in our own certified mail implementation.

Be assured, protecting email users from abuse is a top priority here. We have continuously invested substantial time and resources in exploring new technologies to aid us in the war against spam & abuse. And you have our pledge that we will continue to do so.

We hope this has helped to clarify things and that you now see how our certified mail program will play a role in helping to provide our Yahoo Mail users with a safer experience.
Miles Libbey
Antispam Product Manager
Yahoo Mail

What is Yahoo's anti-spam and abuse policy?

Yahoo is committed to preventing spam and abuse. Learn more about Yahoo's official spam and abuse policy.

Yahoo Newsletters
Yahoo sends email newsletters you request to your mailbox. To adjust your subscription settings visit the Newsletter Subscriptions section of the Account

Information Page:
Yahoo will also occasionally send promotional messages, from Yahoo or from select third parties. If you do not want to receive these offers and other marketing communications, you can adjust your marketing preferences via the Marketing Preferences section of the Account Information Page.

What is spam?

Spam is any message or posting, regardless of its content, that is sent to multiple recipients who have not specifically requested the message. Spam can also be multiple postings of the same message to newsgroups or list servers that are not related to the topic of discussion. Other common terms for spam include unsolicited commercial email (UCE), unsolicited bulk email (UBE) and junk mail.
Web sites that are less reputable or have privacy policies that are less strict may sell your email address to spammers. Those who send spam typically have purchased a list of email addresses from these web sites. They send messages from numerous different - and often falsified - addresses to all areas of the Web, which makes them hard to track.

Why am I getting spam?

Spammers send unsolicited email with the hope that you will buy their products or services - it's the same concept as junk mail delivered to your house. Since it is very inexpensive to send an email, spammers can afford to send millions of them, even if only a small number of people respond by purchasing their products.

What is Yahoo doing to fight spam?

In order to meet the Yahoo Mail commitment to provide you with the best email experience out there, we've developed innovative, effective tools you can customize to combat spam:
· SpamGuard
Send annoying spam email directly to the Bulk folder.
· SpamGuard Plus
Customize your filters to your preferences.
· AddressGuard™
Create alternate email addresses that disguise your real Yahoo Mail address - and simply throw them away if a spammer gets hold of them.
· Filters
Automatically sort incoming messages to different folders.
· Block Addresses
Stop receiving email from particular email addresses or domains that you select.
· Image Blocking
Prevents spammers from knowing you opened their email, and protects you from viewing images you don't want to see.

Yahoo is also fighting spammers in court and supporting legislation to prevent spam.
Find out more about Yahoo's legal and legislative action.

What about spam that has viruses?

Many viruses are sent as email attachments, which may be sent as spam. These attachments are not a threat to your computer if you do not download them.

Yahoo Mail is a web-based email system. Your email messages are stored on our servers, rather than on your computer. Because of this, simply viewing your Yahoo Mail without downloading any attachments does not make your computer vulnerable to viruses.

Learn more about viruses sent by email
You are also protected from viruses in spam by using the Bulk mail folder and the "Spam" button. When SpamGuard is on - its default setting - the majority of spam messages and any viruses attached to them are automatically delivered to the Bulk mail folder. You can delete these messages without reading them or opening their attachments.

If an unsolicited email with an attachment is sent to your Inbox, you can report the message as spam without opening it. Select the message in your Inbox and click the "Spam" button above your messages. Then click "OK." In addition to reporting that message as spam, Yahoo Mail will automatically delete it.
Learn more about reporting spam.

What is SpamGuard?

Yahoo Mail helps you combat spam with advanced, patent-pending SpamGuard technology. Our enhanced SpamGuard uses artificial intelligence to automatically detect and direct spam into your Bulk folder. With SpamGuard, your Inbox stays clear for your important personal and professional messages.

To check if SpamGuard is on (the default):
1. Click on "Bulk" in the left navigation bar.
2. Above the list of messages, if any, you will see a notice that says SpamGuard is ON or OFF.

3. If SpamGuard is OFF, click the text to the right that says "Edit Settings."
With SpamGuard turned on, most spam will go to your Bulk folder instead of your Inbox.

What is SpamGuard Plus?

SpamGuard Plus is an advanced spam fighting system that is completely customized according to your individual preferences. You tell the filter what you want and what you don't and over time, this feature learns to deliver the mail appropriately. SpamGuard Plus is only available to Yahoo Mail Plus subscribers.

How do I use SpamGuard Plus?
You train the filter by clicking "Spam" (in your Inbox) or "Not spam" (in your Bulk folder). If a message is directed incorrectly, tell us by clicking the appropriate button.
· If a spam message is delivered to your Inbox - click "Spam."

· If a non-spam message is delivered to your Bulk folder - click "Not spam."

The system records your preferences and keeps your own personal database of rules to reject spam. (This is called a Bayesian filtering system.)
Smart filtering is turned on by default for Mail Plus users. You can turn it off by changing the settings in the Spam Protection section of the Mail Options page, but we strongly recommend you leave it turned on for the best anti-spam protection.

What is the Bulk folder?

When SpamGuard is on, messages that trip its "spam alarm" are automatically directed to the Bulk folder - which reduces the amount of spam you receive in your Inbox.
Messages will be removed from your Bulk folder periodically. You may choose to delete messages from your Bulk folder after 1 month, 2 weeks, 1 week, or immediately. Messages in your Bulk folder do not count toward your mail storage quota.

The Bulk folder doesn't generate spam, and you won't receive any additional mail as a result of this folder. The system only diverts from your Inbox incoming messages that appear to be spam.

Why are messages I want occasionally directed to my Bulk folder?

Yahoo makes a concerted effort to deliver solicited commercial and personal email directly to your Inbox. If you believe that a message delivered to your Bulk folder is more appropriately delivered to your Inbox, please select the message(s) and click the "Not spam" button above your messages.

What is AddressGuard?

If you're ever worried about giving out your email address on a web site, AddressGuard is for you. Instead of leaving your address open to spam, you can use a disposable email address, while still accessing all your mail in one place.
You can create up to 500 disposable addresses with Yahoo Mail Plus. Use these when you want to give an email address to a site that you suspect might share or sell it. Create several if you shop at different places and want to have a different email address for each store. You can view messages sent to each of your disposable addresses in your Inbox or a folder that you designate.

Each disposable address has two parts: a base name and a keyword.

Base name

The base name is the same for all your disposable addresses but it's different from your Yahoo ID. By using this profile, you can keep spammers from guessing your Yahoo ID and your primary email address.

Keyword

The keyword identifies what you are using the disposable address for. You can use the name of the company to which you are providing the disposable email address, or another word that you will remember.
All disposable email addresses will take the form basename-keyword@yahoo.com.

Example:

Your Yahoo ID: johnmichaeldelaney

Your base name: dairyman88 (so spammers cannot figure out your real email address)

Keyword: Widget Designs (based on the store to which you want to give the address)

Your Disposable Email Address: dairyman88-widgets@yahoo.com

If Widget Designs shares or sells this disposable email address and it begins receiving spam, you can simply shut down dairyman88-widgetdesigns@yahoo.com without affecting your primary Yahoo Mail address or any of your other disposable addresses.

To shut off a disposable email address, click the Mail Options link in the upper-right corner of your Inbox. Select AddressGuard from the list of options.

Select the address you want to turn off and click delete. You will no longer receive any messages sent to that address. If you still wish to communicate with Widget Designs, you will have to create another disposable email address.

For more information about the AddressGuard feature, take the tour. (Requires Macromedia Flash Player.)

Can I view only those messages from people in my Yahoo Mail Address Book?

You can access several different views of your Inbox by using the View command above your messages. Click the arrow to reveal a menu with the following choices: All Messages, Messages from My Contacts, Messages from Unknown Senders, Unread, and Flagged.

Messages from My Contacts:

When you choose "Messages from My Contacts" from the menu, you will see a view of your Inbox that displays only messages sent from people whose email addresses are in your Address Book.

However, in this view you will not see messages from your contacts who you have not yet listed in your Address Book. This may result in some missed messages that you want to read. To see all the messages sent to you, select "All Messages" from the menu.

To add people to your Address Book so that you are able to see their email messages in the "Messages from My Contacts" view, open a message from one of them and click on the link next to their name: "Add to Address Book." You can also click the "Addresses" button on the Yahoo Mail toolbar to add addresses anytime.

Messages from Unknown Senders

When you receive messages from those not in your Address Book that are not snagged as spam by SpamGuard and directed to the Bulk folder, they will appear in the "Messages from Unknown Senders" view of your Inbox. These messages may not be spam, but the sender's email address is not in your Address Book.

To add a sender to your Address Book, open the message and click "Add to my Address Book" at the top of the message or use the "Addresses" button on the Yahoo Mail toolbar. Future messages from that sender will appear in your "Messages from My Contacts" view.

How do I add names to my address book quickly?

Another easy way to add names into your Address Book is QuickBuilder. QuickBuilder setup allows you to search your Yahoo Mail messages for contacts and add them to your Address Book. It's easy and fast

How do I view all my messages?

To see the all the messages in your Inbox, click the "Inbox" link in the left navigation bar. This will show you a combination view of "Messages from My Contacts" and "Messages from Unknown Senders."

How can I avoid spam?

Never respond to unsolicited email. To those who send spam, one response or "hit" from thousands of emails is enough to justify the practice. Additionally, it validates your email address as active, which makes it more valuable, and therefore opens the door to more spam.

Never send your personal information (credit card numbers, passwords, etc.) in an email. Spammers can fake the format of Yahoo and other trusted sites. Yahoo will never ask you to send your password or credit card information by email.

Never follow a spam email's instructions to reply with the word "remove" or "unsubscribe" in the subject line or body of the message unless you trust the source.

This is often a ploy to get you to react to the email. Not only will spammers fail to unsubscribe you, they will have even more incentive to sell your address - which you've validated with your response.

Never click on a URL or web address listed within a spam email, even if the message tells you that's how you unsubscribe. This also alerts the sender that your email address is active and can result in more spam.

Never sign up with sites that promise to remove your name from spam lists. Although some of these sites may be legitimate, most are actually address collectors. If a collector records your address, they will value it more highly because it is active.

What is a "phishing" scam?

Phishing is a type of online fraud where the perpetrators attempt to acquire personal, financial, and/or other account information (such as user IDs, passwords, credit card numbers, PINs, etc.) from unsuspecting victims. This type of fraud is typically initiated by sending an unsolicited but official-looking email claiming to be from a reputable company, such as a bank, a credit card firm, or an online establishment. The fraudulent email usually contains an urgent message that tries to lure the recipient into providing sensitive information.

To avoid being victimized by phishing scams, below are several useful tips:
· Do not respond to emails asking for any personal or financial information.
Legitimate companies will never ask you to verify or provide any confidential information in an unsolicited email.
· Be cautious when clicking on links within a suspicious email.

Most phishing emails contain a link that leads to an official-looking web page which requires the recipient to log in or enter some personal information. Though the web page may contain official logos and look exactly the same as the legitimate company's web site, any information submitted via these spoofed web page(s) will be sent to the perpetrators of the scam.

If you have any doubt regarding the authenticity of a web site you have been directed to in an email, we strongly recommend that you open a new browser and type the known URL of the company in the browser yourself, or call the company directly via telephone.

· Never log in or enter private information in a pop-up window.
Clicking on links within phishing emails may direct your browser to a legitimate web site while, at the same time, opening another pop-up window wherein you are asked to enter your information. This makes it appear like the pop-up window is part of the legitimate site when, in reality, it is not.

(Note: Yahoo offers a Pop-Up blocker in our free Yahoo Toolbar that blocks most unwanted pop-up windows from appearing.)

· Be alert for suspicious emails
It is easy to forge an email and make it appear like a legitimate company sent it. When dealing with emails that pertain to information that is sensitive in nature, it is best to err on the side of caution. Below are a few signs indicative of phishing emails:
o Urgent account notifications that are not addressed to you personally but which require action on your part relating to your account(s).
o Customer notifications that contain incorrect spelling or poor grammar.
o Account/billing email notifications from credit card firms or other financial institutions that do not reference the last few digits of your account number, or that contain no specific details pertaining to your account/billing information or activity.
o Account notifications that are delivered to your Bulk Mail folder.

(Note: While we do our best to deliver legitimate email to your Inbox, we may

occasionally deliver legitimate email to your Bulk Mail folder. We encourage you to check your Bulk Mail folder periodically for legitimate email and, as always, practice caution when dealing with questionable or suspicious emails.)


What do I do if I get an email asking for my personal information?

If you have received a phishing email asking you to verify and/or provide information regarding your Yahoo account, please forward the email to mail-spoof@cc.yahoo-inc.com. We will investigate the email and take appropriate action.

If you have received a phishing email referencing a non-Yahoo website, email address, or service, we encourage you to report such incidents to the appropriate provider or company involved. They will be in a better position to take appropriate action. You may also wish to report the phishing email to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by forwarding it to spam@uce.gov.

For additional information and tips on protecting your information online, please visit the Yahoo Security Center and the FTC's Identity Theft web site.