Use an email filter
Many email account providers have tools you can use to filter out potential spam or channel it to a bulk email folder.
Use a unique e-mail address
Pick an address that contains both letters and numbers which is hard for spammers to guess and easy for you to remember. Many spammers use ''dictionary attacks'' to email many possible name combinations at large ISPs or Email Services hoping to find a valid address. So your email address is much like a password, use an acronym for a phrase such as ''I like to walk the beach with Fido'', could be an email address of Il2wtbw/F@youremailserviceprovider.com. This is a lot more difficult to figure out than samsmith@emailexample.com. This is also more difficult for others to remember as well, but this is easily remedied by sending an initial email to all your friends and family notifying them of your new address. Once they've saved it they won't need to remember they can just select you from their address book.
Also, if chatting online, use a unique screen name that is not associated with your e-mail address. Screen names are accessible to spammers so you don't want to make it easy for them to guess your email address.
Create Multiple Email Addresses
Use one address as a permanent address that you'd use for family and friends. The other email address you'd use online in chat rooms, newsgroups and for purchases etc. This second address would be considered disposable. So if you begin to get too much spam you can shut that email address down without affecting your permanent address.
Some ISPs offer additional addresses for little or no cost.
Don't display your email address in public
This includes newsgroup postings, chat rooms, websites or in an online service's membership directory. You may want to opt out of member directories for your online services; spammers may use them to harvest addresses.
Consider masking your email address. If you need to post your email address on a publicly available web-site, you can mask your address. This makes it difficult for spammers' computers to automatically collect your email address, but fairly simple for other people to be able to use your email address.
A simple method of masking is to add a phrase, or a character, that is obviously not a part of your email address. Then users simply remove that part of your address to contact you. So if your email address is ''samsmith@emailexample.com'', you could mask it as ''samsmith@nojunk.emailexample.com.'' This technique can be used on Web pages, in newsgroup postings, and in some mailing lists. If you need to get an automated response, this will not work, you'll need to sign up for the mailing list with your regular address or preferably with your alternative address, but remember to change the signature that goes out with your email messages.
Check the Privacy Policy
When you submit your email address to a website, check the privacy policy to see if they allow the company to sell your address.
Check to see if you can opt out of receiving email from the company's partners. Sometimes you'll need to uncheck the box in order to opt out.
Use anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software
Keep them updated regularly.
Some phishing scams contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge.
Software is also available to assist with protection from email scams, some ISPs offer this for little or no additional cost.