EarthLink's Fraud and Abuse Department investigates reports of fraud, junk email, and spam email. We take appropriate action to block access to fraudulent Web sites, stop Internet spammers, and help our customers avoid Internet scams so they can have an enjoyable, hassle-free Internet experience.

Spam is most often considered to be electronic junk mail. Some people define spam even more generally as any unsolicited email. However, if a long-lost brother finds your email address and sends you a message, this could hardly be called spam, even though it is unsolicited. Real spam is generally email advertising for some product sent to a mailing list.

In addition to wasting people's time with unwanted e-mail, spam also eats up a lot of network bandwidth. Consequently, there are many organizations, as well as individuals, who have taken it upon themselves to fight spam with a variety of techniques. But because the Internet is public, there is really little that can be done to prevent spam, just as it is impossible to prevent junk mail. However, EarthLink has instituted policies to prevent spammers from spamming our subscribers.

EarthLink's spamBlocker can virtually reduce your spam to zero. SpamBlocker comes free with your EarthLink Service. Here is an article that will assist you in Adjusting Your spamBlocker Settings

The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has. The Web site, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user's information.

You can keep Phishing email (Phishers, for short) away from your inbox by setting your spamBlocker settings to High. You can click on this link to Adjust Your spamBlocker Settings

When you set your spamBlocker to High, you may block email that you don't want to. Here is how you can Accept A Suspect Email.

If you receive Spam or a fraudulent email - Phisher, please submit the email using EarthLink Web Mail's "Spam" button.   Simply select the message by checking the box next to it or by opening the message in Web Mail and then click the "Spam" button at the top of the window.  This is the fastest and easiest way to submit a fraudulent or spam email.



If you do not use EarthLink Web Mail, or if you have spamBlocker turned off, you can manually submit the fraudulent message by forwarding the message to fraud@abuse.earthlink.net.  Please copy and paste the original email's header information into the message before forwarding it to EarthLink. Unfortunately, email headers are not sent when you forward the email. You have to expose the Email Headers before you can send them. Please use the following to guide you on How To Determine The Origin of an Email Message.

Due to the volume of submissions, you will not receive a response on manual submissions.  However, our EarthLink Abuse group will work to review your email within 72 business hours.

Here is a list of articles that will assist you in using Earthlink's Spaminator so you can reduce your spam and Internet threats to virtually zero.

What is spam?

How to Determine The Origin of an Email Message?

How to Adjust Your spamBlocker Settings In EarthLink Web Mail?

spamBlocker - Accepting a Suspect Email with EarthLink Web Mail.

How to Block an Email Address in SpamBlocker using EarthLink Web Mail?

How to Unblock a Blocked Email Address using SpamBlocker in Web Mail?

if you have been told by EarthLink Support that your account has been compromised and used to send out spam or you suspect a third party has gained access to your email account, you should follow the process outlined in the article below on dealing with Compromised Account issues.

http://support.earthlink.net/articles/customer-service/compromised-account.php