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
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