Email Safety

1. If you’re not sure whether an abuser has access to your email account, be cautious and avoid sending emails you wouldn’t want them to see.
2. Stop using a shared account for private emails.
3. Some web-based accounts, like Gmail or Yahoo, remain logged in after the browser is closed. Log out of your account before closing the browser window.
4. If your computer has your email address and password saved, anyone with access to your computer can read your email. When you delete your browser history, click the option to delete “passwords.”
5. If you use a computer-based email program, like Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora or Apple Mail, anyone with access to your computer can read your email. Create a web-based email account, like Gmail, for sending and receiving private emails.
6. If the abuser sends you an email, DO NOT OPEN an attachment because it could be an attempt to install spyware on your computer to track your email messages, activity and even keystrokes.
7. Turn off the “AutoComplete” function on your computer. Most computers have “AutoComplete,” which stores information you’ve typed in your computer. For example, when you go to type something into a search engine, a pop-up box will appear and list the things you’ve searched for in the past. It may predict the email address as an abuser tries to access your account. You may also see this pop-up box when entering your credit card information or your address into an online form.