It is true that some people get more spam than others. And you can reduce the amount of spam you receive by sharing your email address with fewer people. The Center for Democracy & Technology, a nonprofit based in Washington D.C., suggests making your email address less available by guarding where you post it. Disguise your email address -- for example, instead of posting your address as “example@domain.com,” type “example at domain dot com.”

Another strategy is to choose a long email address that’s difficult for spammers to guess -- short and common email addresses like bob@ will likely get more spam.

Also, if you are asked for your email address from a web site operator or an online retailer, find out how they plan to use it. If they do share your email address with outsiders, then revealing your email address will likely result in an increase of spam. Alternatively, you can give your email address and select the “opt out” option which means you do not want your address shared.

Finally, consider using a separate email address for different purposes. For example, use one address for online shopping, and another for online bill payments. Then, if you get inundated with spam on any of your email addresses, you can drop that address and start anew.