When you sign up for sweepstakes, you are always required to enter your email address. Most sweepstakes are probably paid for by companies that like to send mass mailings (spam). I have signed up for a few sweepstakes that I have posted on this blog in the past two weeks, and I am already getting plenty of spam email. “Take our free personality test”, “Friend, Best Buy Offer Confirmation”, “Second Attempt: Friend, Lowes Gift Card Inside”. These are the spam emails that I got in the past two days, and I won’t even begin to tell you the more interesting ones about blue pills. Some of these emails look like something that I might have signed up for, but I know that I haven’t signed up for any giveaways similar to those.

Fortunately for me, all of these emails went to a special “signups” email address that I created to catch all of this spam. I just check this inbox periodically to see if I have truly won anything through a sweepstakes or giveaway. If I would have given out my “real” email address where my friends and family communicate with me, it would get really frustrating wading through this junk to get to my personal emails.

I highly recommend NOT EVER giving out your “real” email address ANYWHERE on the internet, except for reputable companies, like your internet banking, credit card company, eBay, etc. So when you sign up for sweepstakes, I would use a “signups” email address that I create just for this purpose. I recommend using Google’s Gmail to set up an inbox for this purpose. It is free, and very easy to use. You can sign up for an email at Gmail HERE. Gmail also has a pretty good spam filter for your inbox, so you won’t have to wade through near as much spam email.

Another technique that you should use when filling in forms online is to only enter the information that is required. Most forms will have a * (star) next to the fields that are required. Some forms will also have certain field names highlighted in a different color, or in bold. Usually, you are asked for many more fields than are required, and some of these fields might include your home phone number, your cell phone number, or your home address. You can guarantee that if companies are going to spam your email, then they will spam your home phone or home mailing address as well. They are paid by marketing companies to give these awesome things away. That is how they can afford to giveaway such awesome prizes like thousands of dollars, luxury trips, and vehicles.

Use these techniques to sign up for as many sweepstakes and giveaways as possible with minimum spam in your special “signups” email inbox.

Extra Credit: I found this cool web page all about spam, and how you can fight back.
Death To Spam

-Michael