How do I defeat Spam with a blank Subject Line? > as such >>

[Kaiser]

I'm running Vista and I have Windows Mail.

Windows Mail is filtering out Spam that has nothing in the Subject Line
(blank).
But - it puts it in my Junk Mail folder and when I'm away for a week or so,
this spam builds up (in the 100's).

I need to find a way to create a Rule that 'Deletes' it from the Server, so
that it never reaches my email.

The only Rule for the Subject Line is;
"Where the Subject Line contains specific words"
and - because these Spam emails do not have a Subject Line (they are blank),
then there is no way to apply this rule (to Delete it from the Server).

I have asked many folks for a solution to this, but no one knows how to
defeat these (and the "Viagra") types of Spam emails.

Some folks have said that these are 'Professional Spammers' and they are
just simply -Smarter- than everyone that is trying to stop them.

Is that Really the Truth!??

Does anyone have a viable solution to this?

If so, Please reply.

With appreciation

 

[Bruce Hagen]

My apologies if this Outlook Express option does not help with WM, but I
think it should.

For Blank Subject:

Box 1 - Where the Subject line contains specific words
Box 2 - Delete it from server, or Delete It and Stop processing more rules
to send it to Deleted Items.
Box 3 - Click on the blue "Contains specific words" and Add *one at a time*
a, e, i, o, u, y, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
Click: Options and change to: Does not contain....

{This is how it's been suggested to create the rule for a long time. I
include the entire alphabet so an e-mail with a subject like XP will not be
rejected}.

For Blank From: See rule #1, and
For Blank To & CC: See rule # 2 here:
http://www.mindspring.com/~majik/messagerules.htm

For Blank Message Body, Do the same as Blank Subject, but for the action,
choose: Delete It and Stop processing more rules, as the message has to be
download for the rule to realize the message body is blank.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Can you honestly tell me that no friend or relative has ever sent you an
email with a blank subject line? I'd be a little cautious about deleting
those outright.

I remember seeing a message rule once that dealt with blank subjects.
It relied on the characteristic that English words must have at least one
vowel. Sorry, I don't remember the details.

 

[Bob]

The best solution I have found it a program called Mail Washer
(firetrust.com). It is great. It runs in the background checking your
mailbox and removing obvious spam using RBLs your own rules, and First
Alert's spam database. Before you open your mail client, you check Mail
Washer's list of headers and tell it what to do with what is still in your
mailbox on the server (trash or leave it). Then, when you open your mail
client, the only thing OE or WinMail sees, is good mail.

Bob

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

I have no doubt that Mail Washer is good, as I have heard others give
it good reports. However, it seems like double work to me to first
check and dispose the headers in Mail Washer, and then open your
email client. My email client filter in conjunction with my ISP's spam filter
does a pretty good job separating the wheat from the chaff, and I
don't need to open a separate program.

 

[Bob]

Depends on the ISP. My old one, (Road Runner) didn't filter very much and
did not have any online quarantine. We got tons of spam to deal with. I
left Mail Washer running on my computer with the RBL, etc clearing the worst
of it from mine, my wife's and my mom's accounts. Then just a quick sweep
to highlight most of the questionables for deletion. Then my Outlook opened
automatically to pull the rest. If you have a serious problem with Spam, it
does help a lot.
My Mom and her friends are the types who will forward everything to
everyone, so her account was inundated with real raunchy spam. Had to do
something to clear it up before downloading.

But, when Comcast took over our cable service here, I retired the MW cause
we get no more spam. Not even in the filtered folder online. Just nothing
anymore.

The other option I like also, is using Gmail. Their filters work great.

Bob

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Thanks for your feedback.