Hide your email address from spammers

Mon Apr 7, 2008 9:15PM EDT

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I'm always amazed at how many people volunteer their email address on forums and comments sections. I suppose no one told them spammers use programs that crawl the Web in search of email addresses, or perhaps they just don't care. As a site owner, I often hesitate about posting my email address publicly, but sometimes it's inevitable.

I've used different tricks to deter spammers, like using graphics, contact forms, or spelling out the entire email address (yourname [at] yahoo.com), but somehow, those accounts still manage to get spam. You're probably familiar with CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) since most websites with logins and forms use them, but until now I haven't seen one for individual email addresses.

The folks at Carnegie Mellon University have created an application called Mailhide to help you hide your email address. Users have to enter their email address and copy a piece of code that displays a partial email address (yah...@yahoo.com) wherever it's posted. If a person really wants to find out what the entire email address is, they'll have to solve one of the two CAPTCHAs the application displays. HTML code is also provided for website owners.

The words can be hard to read, but once solved, the visitor is taken to a page that shows the complete email address (here's an example). It's a bit tricky, but it keeps spammers from collecting your email address.

 

 

 

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  • 46 Posted by art_b1976 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    I especailly hate the spam that comes from other individdual email addresses, i wonder how you can block those.

  • 47 Posted by seejayjames on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    This works too (though I dunno whether the spambots have figured this out yet). Requires javascript to be enabled on the browser. http://www.iwss.ilstu.edu/tips/encode.shtml Just uses javascript and document.write() to break up the otherwise easily-found email. -CJ

  • 48 Posted by ana_graphic on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    hi i don't know why they send spams ? there in not even their contact addresses in the spam emails, so why they advertise for something when we can not get back to them ? i don't understand

  • 49 Posted by ecuz13 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    Do no send your E-mail address to Gina Hough @Yahoo. She keeps sending me double messages and I have no way of stopping this. I have unsubscribed and also reapplied to no avail.

  • 50 Posted by charlax.hice on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    NO WAY SPAMMING hurts less then remembering eyehate the mark of the beast the ID it is hard enough now to sign innto the email let them eat SPAMM hahhah er cake mnmnmnmnmnmn choclate

  • 51 Posted by pcpaulacates031483 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hello everyone, I have a question that I really would like answered. I am tired of having Spam flood my inbox so what I would like to do is use this useful tool that is provided. However, I am not sure where to paste the code that is given to me in order to stop spam from flooding my inbox. So my question is this: Where can I paste the code that is given on this website in my email in order to stop all the spam that I receive? Thanks in advance to the person/s who respond to my question.

  • 52 Posted by hirejeffdeibel on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    I find irony in having an "email me alerts" button at the top of this post. I've signed up for several eBlasts and very few of them have ever sold my information off to other sources. Most of the time when you sign up for a email alerts they ask you if you'd like to receive information from their "friends." I'd uncheck that box everytime if you don't want to receive random emails. Plus, any law abiding business legally has to take you off their list within 14 days of your unsubscribe requests.

  • 55 Posted by steve20832 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    The government passed the CAN-SPAM act back in 2003 yet only a couple spammers have been put in jail. Why aren't they going after the other 1000 spammers? Stupid to pass a law and not enforce it! I know many spammers use fake email addresses but if you follow the money trail, you can find them.

  • 56 Posted by croppingman on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    This doesn't prevent people from signing up their e-mail address to websites that can send spam. I mean really, is there a point to all the security measures people try to take?

  • 58 Posted by cleothemuse on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    That's all well and good for use on forums and such, but on website accessible to the public--especially a business site--you DON'T want to frustrate the user into having to go through CAPTCHA verification just to find out the contact address. Sometimes, spam is inevitable. Best advice is to use a "catch-all" email address for these types of posts, and not your personal email address.

  • 62 Posted by german7769 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, eggs, spam,spam, bacon, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, eggs, sausage, spam, spam, bacon, spam, spam, eggs, bacon ,sausage spam,

  • 63 Posted by daniel_suich on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    Look, it's just email. Try not to get too worked up about it. Spend your mental and emotional energy on the important stuff in life, like your family and friends. They need you.

  • 64 Posted by husher5142 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    All the spam you get is from signing up on websites, forums, putting in ballots for prizes or games, your friends and family passing on corrupted emails with malware or viruses (which broadcast your outbound email address, or use it), clicking on advertisements, looking at MATURE CONTENT (even inputting an email address on page one will tag your email - so if the kids are trying to get free pic's and are using your email your sol. Firewalls/security only scan so far, and NEVER click "remove me from contact list" as you just confirmed yourself to be a valid and used IP/email address. My suggestion make a registration email for crap, and keep your personal email personal. And don't open emails you have no idea who they are from even if they say "Hi" or promise great things.

  • 65 Posted by husher5142 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    All the spam you get is from signing up on websites, forums, putting in ballots for prizes or games, your friends and family passing on corrupted emails with malware or viruses (which broadcast your outbound email address, or use it), clicking on advertisements, looking at MATURE CONTENT (even inputting an email address on page one will tag your email - so if the kids are trying to get free pic's and are using your email your sol. Firewalls/security only scan so far, and NEVER click "remove me from contact list" as you just confirmed yourself to be a valid and used IP/email address. My suggestion make a registration email for crap, and keep your personal email personal. And don't open emails you have no idea who they are from even if they say "Hi" or promise great things. btw if this dbl posted im sorry

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