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Dodge that spam!
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April 4, 2000: 6:08 a.m. ET
Keeping junk e-mail off your plate and in the trash where it belongs
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - If you're going to send e-mail, experts say you'll have to deal with spam.
The Federal Trade Commission put together a list of the 12 top spam scams -- the so called "dirty dozen" -- that tells consumers what to look out for when they go to their e-mail boxes. Experts say there is not much you can do to keep spam out of your life entirely, but there are a few steps you can take and not take.
The Web site spam.abuse.net carries tips on what not to do about spam. They include:
· Threaten violence or vandalism.
· Mail-bomb the site.
· Hack into the site.
· Try in any way to bring the site down illegally.
· Do not use spam to fight spam.
The site also contains tools and techniques for blocking mailed spam.
Rich D'Amato, a spokesman for America Online Inc. (AOL: Research, Estimates), the No. 1 online service provider, said the company provides its customers with mail controls that they can use to manage the flow of e-mail. You can have certain addresses blocked, D'Amato said, but spam artists can change their address slightly and conceivably get around the block.
"We also encourage members to forward us all junk mail," D'Amato said. "We have taken more than 40 companies and/or individuals to court (over spamming). We haven't lost a case."
AOL announced plans in January to acquire CNNfn's parent company Time Warner Inc. (TWX: Research, Estimates). 
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