Kim Kubsch
We are bombarded by the dreaded junk mail and spam on our phones, in our mailboxes, and in our email inbox. It is unwanted clutter and not worth our time, yet we need to manage it. These ideas and resources will help prevent spam, list where to report fraud, plus a list of mostly free anti-spam services.
Start with Unsubscribing
“If it doesn’t enter your home, you don’t need to declutter it.”
Unsubscribing from communications is a good strategy, however, only directly contact the business if you signed up in the first place or you’re sure they’re a reputable establishment. Use the “Unsubscribe” link only for emails from legitimate companies (stores, newsletters, subscriptions). For Gmail, look for the built-in “Unsubscribe” button near the sender’s name but if it looks suspicious, don’t click anything.
Never click on links in an email you didn’t subscribe to. Mark it as junk instead and it will automatically go to your spam folder. The junk filter doesn’t work 100%—some email addresses already blocked still make it through. For those naughty ones, right-click on the message and set up a rule to have it automatically go to the spam folder.
The key is to stop engaging with bad senders and actively clean up the good ones, especially if you no longer use their services.
Anti-Spam Services for Phone, Mail, and Email
For all the businesses you don’t know and trust, check out the below services that you can sign up for to prevent some of the junk communications from coming in. Report fraud to reportfraud.ftc.gov and report cybercrime to the FBI at Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov). Each state has similar government entities you can report to as well.
Phone Calls
* Use your cell phone’s settings—Apple or Android.
* Your service provider’s spam blocker services (e.g. Verizon, AT & T, T-Mobile).
* Landline call blockers—shop Amazon for devices to connect to a home phone.
* National Do Not Call Registry (DoNotCall.gov) gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls and you can register your home and/or mobile phone for free.
* DMAchoice.org—requires payment of $8 administrative fee for a 10-year registration period to opt-out.
Snail Mail
* CatalogChoice.org allows you to cancel specific catalogs.
* OptOutPrescreen.com is the official Consumer Credit Reporting Industry website to accept and process requests from consumers to opt-In or opt-out of firm offers of credit or insurance.
* Incogni.com is PCMag’s number one pick for data removal with strong automation and transparency.
* PaperKarma.com is an app with a monthly fee designed to reduce physical junk mail, catalogs, and magazines by taking a photo of the item.
Be realistic—you won’t get to zero spam or unwanted communication, but with consistent clean-up, most people can cut it down by 70% to 90% within a few weeks.
Stay tuned for monthly articles about decluttering, downsizing, organizing, making transitions and clearing of estates. Call to learn about my FREE 30-minute consultation or to speak to your group: 480–720–8566.
To purchase my book, “Getting Your Life Together Organizer and Joy of Downsizing, visit Amazon.com or www.JoyfulDOWNSIZING.com.