this might be rather long, with details some may not care to read, so you 
might want to skim, or delete.

Sharon

Keep Your Email Address Unlisted: There Is No "National Do Not Email 
Registry"

Have you heard radio advertisements or seen a Web site or email that claims 
to offer a "national do not email registry?" Don't believe the hype, 
according

to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) attorneys who are experts at fighting spam 
email.

Recently, the FTC reported that a national do not email registry would not 
be effective at this time for a number of reasons, including the high risk 
that

it would result in more in-box clutter because illegal spammers would use 
the registry as a "do spam" list. The FTC advises consumers not to submit 
their

email addresses to any organization that claims to be creating a do not spam 
list.

If you have already submitted your email address to a "national do not email 
registry" that promises to reduce the amount of spam you receive, you may be

the victim of a scam. The FTC is concerned that some sites could be part of 
a high-tech scam to trick consumers into disclosing their email address or

other sensitive personal information. The site may be a ruse to collect 
valid email addresses to sell to spammers. The result could be even more 
spam for

consumers who sign up for the "registry." Or, it may be even worse - some 
scammers have collected information through bogus Web sites that mimic those

of legitimate organizations, and then use the information to commit identity 
theft.

Should you get an unsolicited email claiming to represent a "do not email 
registry," an organization to stop spam, or even the FTC itself, forward it 
to

the FTC at

[log in to unmask]

If you believe you have been scammed, file your complaint at

www.ftc.gov,

then visit

www.consumer.gov/idtheft

to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from identity theft.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair 
business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help 
consumers

spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a

complaint

or to get

free information on consumer issues,

visit

www.ftc.gov

or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The 
FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related

complaints into

Consumer Sentinel,

a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law 
enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

August 2004

--

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Sharon