1. Don't buy anything promoted in a spam

Even if the offer isn't a scam, you are helping to finance spam.

2. If your email program has a "preview pane," disable it

This prevents the spam from reporting to its sender that you've received it.

3. Get a separate throw-away email address

Use one email address for family and friends, another for everyone else. That way, if the latter starts to be bombarded with spam, you can discard it and get a new one.

Your ISP may offer a second email address, or you can pick up a free one from a webmail provider.

You could also use a disposable forwarding-address service like www.SpamMotel.com.

4. Use an Internet provider that filters spam

Some ISPs are now filtering out spam before it even gets to your inbox. If you get lots of spam, find out whether your ISP has any filtering features in place. Compare this with the service offered by other ISPs.

5. Install spam-blocking software

A number of such programs are available. Mailwasher, a New Zealand-based program, is free to download, and has been recommended by several Consumer members. Visit the Mailwasher site for more details.

Our report on Security suite software has more information on spam-blocking software.

6. If you receive a spam that promotes a brand, complain

Find the company behind the brand, and send them a letter of complaint by postal mail, which makes more of a statement than email.

7. Use filters to divert spam

If your email program offers "rules" (also known as "filters"), set up one to divert spam. Rules can identify messages with certain properties, or containing key words, and automatically diverts them to a separate folder. But note: while this can catch most spam, it may also catch some legitimate emails, so you may need to check your "spam" folder once in a while.

8. Install a firewall

This is particularly important if you have broadband internet access. This prevents a spammer from planting software on your computer to turn it into a spamming machine. An unsecured computer can be especially attractive to spammers. See our report on Security suite software.