Stopping Spam in Lotus Notes

Everyone is still receiving a lot of spam e-mail because it works. Too many people still open spam and respond by buying a product or get caught in a phishing scam.* If you effectively use the tools available in Lotus Notes, you can avoid getting spam messages in your Inbox and quickly manage the spam that does arrive in your mailbox.

1. Activate spamJam

To request that spamJam be added to your Lotus Notes account, go to the spamJam Web page <http://notes.unl.edu/newnotes/spamJam.htm>. Once it is activated, it will begin to capture spam e-mail and put it into a log.

You will receive a daily “Summary Message” from the spamJam log of all messages that were caught the previous day. Using the Lotus Notes software, you can View any individual message (in a “safe” text mode) or Restore it to your Inbox. Messages are kept in the log for 14 days and then are automatically deleted from the server.

Plus, if spam e-mail is still showing up in your Inbox, you can add word, addresses, or domains to the spamJam configuration to capture additional designated e-mail. You must use the Lotus Notes full client software to configure and manage spamJam.

You can use the Notes Web client and iNotes client to view the daily summary message. You can Restore messages and View messages — but not in the “safe” mode.

Complete instructions for using spamJam are available on the spamJam Web page.

2. Do Not Open or “Preview” Suspect Messages

A lot of spam e-mails now contain images that when viewed run a small program that alerts the sender that the e-mail has arrived and that the receiving e-mail address is valid. Even if you only “preview” a message, you may find yourself receiving even more spam!

With spamJam activated, you will receive a visual cue to a suspect message. Spamjam will tag a message that didn’t go into the log but that could still be a spam message with a question mark (see sample screen at right).

When you first open your mailbox, check for messages with the question mark icon and immediately delete these messages (do not open or preview).

3. Look at the Document Properties

If there is a message that you think may be legitimate, use the Document Properties to safely view the message before opening it. Right-click on the message in your Inbox and select Document Properties from the pop-up menu. (Mac users: click once on message to highlight it and then go to File > Document Properties).

In the Document dialog box, click on the second tab (triangle) to see Body, From, and other properties. As you can see from the sample screen at the right there may be multiple “Body” sections. If you cannot find the text for the message, it is best to delete the message.

4. Correctly Configure “Out of office” Messages

If you use the “Out of office” option, make sure you change a setting under the Exceptions tab. Make sure the “do not automatically reply to mail from Internet addresses” option is active (checked). This prevents sending e-mail back to spammers (one way they verify real addresses).

Remember - Never respond! If you open the e-mail, DO NOT use the reply option to take yourself off the list. Any response or acknowledgment tells the spammer your e-mail account is active, and you may then find yourself receiving more spam.

* “The secret of phishers’ success,” by Will Sturgeon, Silicon.com. Published on ZDNet News: April 3, 2006. (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6057000.html)
“Bad e-mail habits sustains spam,” BBC News, March 23, 2005. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4375601.stm)

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 Last updated April 10, 2006