I have found that clicking on SPAM is not very effective. That will only stop emails from one name and one address. But, scammers use multiple names and email addresses.

I agree. I get regular emails from Vanguard Investments and Fidelity Investments, and they almost always have a link to connect to something. It seems as though financial companies should stop including these links in their emails.

I block a general word like “sale” or “cruise” as I don’t go on any yet. Everything that has that word gets blocked so I chose a whole phrase sometimes.

I have 8 e-mail addresses. They each have different purposes. One is primarily for retail companies where I do my shopping. That way all my rewards program freebies go to one place. I get a lot of spam in that e-mail address too but most of it goes into the spam box. Google is great with that, it automatically deletes anything in the spam box older than 30 days. That way - just in case one of them isn't really spam, I have 30 days to take a peek. I caught a Moe's free birthday burrito in there last year right before it expired.

I check my spam box every few weeks but very rarely is there anything I'd care to open and read.

On the other e-mail addresses - three I never get any spam at all, or any e-mail from any companies, ever. Those are my gaming e-mail addresses. Another is for doctors and other medical stuff. Another is for a club I'm in. No spam to that one either, ever.

The last one is actually my oldest one, which I used when I lived up north. It's linked to my old xfinity account, which I no longer have. But I still use the e-mail for a couple of random things. It forwards to my primary google account, so I never have to check it separately anyway.

I have a computer that I ONLY use for banking and important functions. I never even check email on that computer. The current one is a used Microsoft Surface tablet which makes it easy to take along when traveling.

Hotmail is the worse for letting in spam. I finally stopped using it. Gmail is much better.

unsubscribe button
 

Thanks - good advice.

I have a better one - the other day I was seeking to purchase a small safe for my home. As I was surfing the web I also ran across an ad on how to put out a kitchen fire on the stove with a throw fire retardant blanket. I did not purchase anything. Three days later I was watching a streaming service that required free tv ads. As I was watching - a commercial came up for the exact same safe I was looking for on line and the very next commercial an ad for the fire protection blanket. They are watching everything we are doing on line! It was funny and scary at the same time.

Thank you!

I've found that if my wife and I talk about a product we start getting ads for that product on our Facebook and on google searches.

I redirect the junk to my junk mail then delete them all at one time once a week

I find that if I do not open those junk emails and drag them into the junk folder my computer learns to send them to junk for me.

Go Apple
 

Go Apple, problem solved. If you don’t like emails, hit reply without opening, copy the sender address and block it. Done deal

Creating email filters
 

Depending on your email client, there may be another way to combat this. Many allow you to create email "filters". It might be under "settings". For example, if you are getting multiple emails from the same domain like XXX.com, you can create a filter that trashes any email coming from that domain. I find it very effective. Some spam emails have no return address. You can also filter that too.

Most filters allow you to create a setting that says "if the email contains (or does not contain) XXX) send it to the trash." You can create multiple filters for many instances.
I know roadrunner email has this feature and also yahoo does. Just google search "can I create filters in my xxx/com email?
Good luck!

Another reason not to click unsubscribe is that they harvest your email and tag it as reaching a real person, who takes the time to read their ad. Bingo - A LIVE ONE
They will unsubscribe you from that spam message, but then sell your information to 1000 other spammers. Net effect is spammer makes big $$ and you get slammed with lots more spam.

General safety: Never click on any link sent to your email. If you think it's legit, and want to see what is being referenced, open your password manager (like Keepass) and independently go to the web site URL you know is accurate.
General safety: Do not use your computer for day-to-day things using an administrator level account.
General safety: For PCs, leave UAC enabled. Yes, it's a pain, but could save you from installing something you don't want.

Anyone using GMail for dummy accounts, you need to log on to them periodically. They are removing accounts that have not been accessed in a while. Just in case you expect a "verification" message occasionally.

If using Yahoo mail, you can create 500 additional email address. Each one is in the format of [YourOwnKeyword]-[SomethingUnique] AT yahoo DOT com
So you can give YourOwnKeyword-ShopSuperSite20231220router to only them.
So you can give YourOwnKeyword-CableTvCompany20190501movies to only them.
So you can give YourOwnKeyword-SiriusXM19980704goose to only them.
Note the year/month/day (that's when you gave it to them) and the random extra word (for preventing a skilled spammer from guessing your pattern and guessing you have other address at large companies. Generating 10000000 messages trying to get one to you.)
When they sell your email, it will be very obvious where that spam originated. If it's from somewhere you have a valid subscription, you can confront their security department and get compensation (free service for life, huge bill credit, cash compensation, OR all three things). Plus you can disable that one email and kill all that spam without making any rules. Or you can make one rule to trash the [SomethingUnique] email coming from everyone else except who you want it from. Really powerful.

and
 

And do not click on a link emailed to you even if you have an account - look it up on your own