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Prevent Spam with Temporary Email Addresses

by Matt Keelan

The single most effective defense in the war on spam is to avoid using your email address when buying something on the Internet. But, almost all Internet transactions require an email address to which to send a receipt. How do you get around this?

Enter 10minutemail (www.10minutemail.com). 10 Minute Mail does exactly as the name implies - provides you with a temporary email address for 10 minutes. And it's free! During the check out process, when the web site you're buying from asks for your email address - don't! Instead, open a new browser window and go to www.10minutemail.com. Click on "Get my temporary email address" and then "Copy email address to clipboard" on the subsequent page. Leave the 10minutemail web page open, go back to your order, paste the temporary email address into the form with Ctrl-V, and complete your purchase. Now jump back to the 10minutemail page and wait for your receipt. When it arrives, you may safely preview the email (including attachments), print it, respond to it, or forward it to your regular email account for future reference. A timer on the page shows you how many minutes you have left before the temporary email address "self-destructs." If the email doesn't arrive within 10 minutes, simply click on "Give me 10 more minutes."

This is a great tool for purchases or any other Internet activity requiring a short-lived email address. However, if you need an address that will last a bit longer (2-3 hours) but with less functionality, try www.mailinator.com. Mailinator does not require you to go to their web site in advance. When you are asked for your email address, simply enter something like noneofyourbusiness@mailinator.com and Mailinator will create that email address on the fly when it arrives! To check your email, just go to the Mailinator web site and enter your newly created email address. While Mailinator is simpler to use than 10minutemail, be aware that attachments and graphics are not allowed and you cannot forward or reply to the email.

Happy surfing!