How can I prevent outlook downloading fonts from used in (mostly) spam messages?

[Peter]

I receive many emails which when opened for previews seem to cause a
lot of disc activity and then display, typically, a Russian font or
something.

These are almost always spam mails and I wonder if the point of these
font-loaded mails is so that the sender can get positive feedback of
viewing?

So is there a way to configure Outlook so that it never downloads
fonts but restricts itself to those on my hard drive?

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

What version of Outlook and do these mails have the same fonts in the
message subject? If yes, why are you opening them? Are they from someone
you know? Do you open every message to verify if it is spam?

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. Due to
the (insert latest virus name here) virus, all mail sent to my personal
account will be deleted without reading.

After furious head scratching, Peter asked:

| I receive many emails which when opened for previews seem to cause a
| lot of disc activity and then display, typically, a Russian font or
| something.
|
| These are almost always spam mails and I wonder if the point of these
| font-loaded mails is so that the sender can get positive feedback of
| viewing?
|
| So is there a way to configure Outlook so that it never downloads
| fonts but restricts itself to those on my hard drive?

 

[Peter]

What version of Outlook and do these mails have the same fonts in the

message subject? If yes, why are you opening them? Are they from someone
you know? Do you open every message to verify if it is spam?

I am using Outlook 2003 SP1

No I never 'open' any email that looks like spam but I have auto
preview so the mail will try and display themselves simply by
scrolling past the item as I scroll my new mails.

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

Turn off auto-preview except in folders where you have your trusted mail
moved to. I would never trust any mail to display even the first word of a
message in my in-box. I turn off the reading pane and mark all messages from
unknown senders as junk senders and move them to the junk senders folder.

Only then do I deal with the remaining mail, all with the reading pane and
auto-preview off. If I am unsure, I right click on the message, select
options and look at the internet header to see if there is something fishy
going on.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. Due to
the (insert latest virus name here) virus, all mail sent to my personal
account will be deleted without reading.


After furious head-scratching, Peter asked this group:

|| What version of Outlook and do these mails have the same fonts in the
|| message subject? If yes, why are you opening them? Are they from
|| someone you know? Do you open every message to verify if it is spam?
|
| I am using Outlook 2003 SP1
|
| No I never 'open' any email that looks like spam but I have auto
| preview so the mail will try and display themselves simply by
| scrolling past the item as I scroll my new mails.