Good question...

Yes, I am using my ISP, Verizon. When I go to their website to check my mail, there are hundreds of spam mails every day. Due to filtering, I get only a couple dozen daily - in both my inbox and junk folders. Unfortunately, I belong to a professional association that lets out members' email addresses to any and all. I wonder how complicated it would be to get a new email address? I conduct business and professional contacts with my present address.

The easiest way would be to have more than one e-mail address, one for personal use only, which you share with only close friends and family. Then have another address for business purposes and/or sites you join or need an email address in order to access. My husband and I have three addresses with gmail, and, at this point, we receive practically no spam. However, when I check the spam folders that gmail maintains, I am astounded at the number there. Changing is not all that difficult, and it's a chance to not share your address with those you don't want to have it. Also, if you should change providers or move to a different physical location, your gmail address is always available via your browser.

Since my original post I have noticed that the spam that gets through the subject line message rules has extra symbols mixed in. Something like this for example, 0FINAL 0NOTICE, except the symbol is not a zero, it is a zero shaped like a rectangle. What is that symbol and how might I defeat it?

Once your email address gets into the hands of those engaged in sending large volumes of garbage emails as you describe, trying to deal with them on the receiving end is a losing battle.

I don't know what kind of organization is stupid enough to allow public access to an email list but that sounds like part of the problem. But it may not be the only source.

I would abandon your current address and use two new ones - one for that organization only and a second address for everything else you do including personal financial stuff. You can let those you correspond with for business and personal reasons know what your new address is, it's no big deal for anyone to do a one-time address change in their own contact books. And maybe a third, if needed for websites that insist on having one as part of a user account. Like this website, as an example.

Try Gmail, I think its spam filtering functions are much better than others. It's always better to have non-ISP email addresses anyway, you may change service providers through the years, it shouldn't require you to change the email address others use to reach you.

Thanks Snidely, I was hoping to be able to bvetter battle the spammers. So far, comparing what gets sent to Verizon and what I get on my W. Live Mail, I have been able to stop about 98% from getting into my inbox and about 95% from getting into my junk mail folder. I guess you and grandms have a good plan. Change to Gmail. You might be surprised what professional association provides email lists of their members to any and all. It varies from region to region, state to state. Some will allow only one address at a time.

I have been using gmail for years and think it is great.

I have not thought of spam in a couple of years. Can't remember the last time I received some. I guess I am lucky.

I use IE, Pop3, 8.1. Is there any way I can tell Outlook 365 mail in rules not to download mail that is spam? I used to have that option. I think I used Imap. That option is not obvious to me.