You may have already received a do not spam list e-mail, seen a website or even heard a radio advertisement that promises to reduce spam e mail just by submitting your e-mail address.

Since the federal "Do Not Call List" became law in 2003, it seems logical that a do not spam list exists also. But even though it sounds legitimate, do not believe the hype or the official looking emails.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) attorneys, who are experts at fighting spam e mail, a national do not spam list registry would not succeed at this instant for many reasons.

The FTC says the high risk of a list like this would actually result in more in-box clutter because illegal spammers would utilize the registry as a "do spam" list. So the FTC is advising consumers not to submit their e mail addresses to any organization that claims to be generating a do not spam list.

The FTC also says emails and web sites that claim to offer a national do not e-mail list or registry could be part of a high-tech scam to trick consumers into disclosing their electronic mail address or other sensitive personal data .

According to the FTC, these web sites and emails might be a certain way to collect valid e mail addresses to sell to e mail spammers. The result could be even more spam for anyone who signs up for the do not spam list.

Or, it could be worse because some scammers have collected understanding through bogus web sites that mimic those of legitimate organizations, and then make use of the data to commit identity theft.

If you have already submitted your email address to a national do not e-mail list or registry that promises to reduce the amount of spam you receive, you could be a victim of one the latest email scams on the Internet.

Should you get an unsolicited e mail claiming to represent a do not email list or registry, an organization to stop spam, or even the FTC itself, forward it to the FTC using this e mail address - spam@uce.gov .

If you believe you have already been scammed, file your complaint at FTC - File Complaint, then visit FTC - Identity Theft Resources to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from identity theft.

You can choose to ignore a do not spam list e mail or help the FTC with their efforts in fighting spam by forwarding any suspicious emails to them. The important thing is that you do not become a new victim of the do not spam list e mail scam.