The internet has brought us so many great things but is also brought us a few bad things and one of those things is SPAM. Everyone gets spam and we all hate it. Some people are targeted ruthlessly, especially those with websites, receiving hundreds per day. Did you know that about 40% of emails that are sent are Spam? It is annoying, frustrating and sometimes a very serious problem for some people. It can be dangerous because some messages are sent with viruses and Trojans which can be used to steal your personal information.

Spammers buy lists of email addresses from a list broker. If your email address appears in a newsgroup posting, on a website, in a chat room, or in an online service's membership directory, it is very possible it may find its way onto these lists. The spammer then uses special software that can send hundreds of thousands — even millions — of email messages to the addresses at the click of a mouse.

Filtering Spam wastes time and money, it is something we shouldn’t have to do. It is worth using software to combat it. There are so many different types of Anti-Spam on the market today who knows which is best. Buying the most expensive doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best.

Here are a few things you should remember to try and reduce the amount of Spam you receive:

• NEVER open Spam or Attachments in a Spam email- if you do, you run the risk of infecting your machine with viruses and Trojans.

• DO NOT click the unsubscribe link- this just confirms to them your email address is correct.

• Use different email accounts for different purposes for example, one for work one for your personal life and one for online shopping.

• DO NOT display your email address in public. That includes newsgroup postings, chat rooms, websites or in an online service's membership directory.

• Check the privacy policy when you submit your address to a website.

• Use an email filter. Check your email account to see if it provides a tool to filter out potential spam or a way to channel spam into a bulk email folder. Or buy an email filter.

Unless we all try to fight spam it will only get worse. We need to all be aware of the dangers of leaving our personal information on websites, forums or chat rooms. Using spam filters is one way to fight the spammers and I would recommend we all use one.

If you are really fed up with Spam and none of the above reduces the amount you receive you could report it to the Federal Trade Commission. If the “remove me” request is not honoured you can send a copy of unwanted or deceptive messages to spam@uce.gov. You could complain by filling out the FTC’s online compliant form on their site: www.ftc.gov. The FTC uses the unsolicited emails stored in this database to pursue law enforcement actions against people who send deceptive spam email.