My Yahoo mail spam folder works reasonably well, and has successfully quarantined all of the lotto scam emails. It crossed my mind that they could go a step further, and have a second folder for items that meet a threshold of criteria that would suggest they’re not just Spam mails, but Scam mails. The Nigerian lotto scam is just the most obvious, but acai berries, extended car warranties, psychic readings, special home loan programs, etc. could all be flagged by an automated program. This could also include, eventually, anything that contains links to companies with terrible Better Business Bureau/other consumer group ratings.
There would be a legal issue involved; Yahoo (or whomever, Yahoo is only an example) would have to provide a disclaimer that these may all be bona fide, above-board offers, but simply fit the automated scam profile closely enough. It would probably take a few full-time employees, to keep tabs on the current scam buzzwords.
Anyway, it would be great to see an organization put together something like this, to help protect consumers.
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Perhaps I am paranoid on the matter but I rate all spontaneous commercial e-mail offers as scam just to be on the safe side and never open them. I only utilize the web for information when I am motivated to look on what appears to be legitimate sites. If my attitude were more pervasive it might even cut down e-mail spam.
The answer is simple. No legitimate offer needs to send me unsolicited offers, they have other less intrusive means to advertise their wares to me. All unsolicited emails are junk.
Sand/Classicat: I wasn't thinking of a solution for, lack of a better term, smart people. I was thinking of a way to help protect dumb people. Recently, I worked at a foreign exchange company that was victimized by Nigerian lotto scammers (the scammers sent out bogus award checks in the FX co's name, in hopes of receiving real checks for the "tax payments.") Shockingly, somewhere between 200 and 300 of these checks were submitted for deposit. Naive, gullible people still exist in droves... maybe they deserve what they get, but I'm thinking there has to be a way to help keep them safer. Maybe mail providers could just add periodic tagline reminders to check things out on Snopes.