The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has asked Congress for the necessary authority required to fight Internet spam we all hate and fills our inbox everyday, according to the article "spam" now accounts for about half of all e-mail traffic... here's a good utility you might want to give a try, I use it on a daily basis to filter my incoming email.
In testimony before the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, FTC commissioners said they need the ability to secretly investigate those who send deceptive e-mail and more leeway to go after spammers who send their messages across international borders.
E-mail marketers should be required to describe their products honestly and honor consumer requests to be taken off their contact lists, the commissioners said, while criminal penalties should be explored for those who falsify their return addresses.