Stopping Phishing Emails

A reader has posted the question - "Is it possible to stop receiving phishing emails?"

While it's not possible to prevent anyone sending them, it is possible to stop phishing emails getting through. I don't get any phishing emails through via my personal email address - they all come through the other email addresses, which are allowed to receive them for this site.

First, your ISP may have anti spam on your email service. Some provide this for free, others charge a little. With the websites I build, anti spam and anti virus are an option feature of the emails for only £12 per email box per year (I get charged that amount).

The control you have over the anti-spam / anti-virus may be quite low with your ISP, but at least they should have the latest definitions and if you set it up correctly, they delete the emails before sending them.

The alternative (or if you are inclined then a further level of protection) is to install software on your machine. This will check what's in your inbox and either delete it, mark it or move it. It will depend on the software and your settings. Something along the lines of CA Anti-Spam may be useful.

The problem with all of these is that they are deleting emails and can sometimes get a bit too clever at their job and delete wanted emails. So there's a balance to be had on how you use and trust them.