Frequently, I hear from consumers who receive spam e-mails and they want to report the senders to law enforcement.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the CAN SPAM act, which establishes requirements for commercial e-mailers. For example, businesses aren’t supposed to send you e-mails with misleading or false headers. In addition, you are supposed to be given the opportunity to opt out. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t play by the rules.

Consumers receive e-mails that are sexually explicit, many of them using misleading headers and some of them attempting to defraud consumers.

You should forward spam e-mails to the FTC at spam@uce.gov. The database is used to pursue law enforcement actions against people who break the law. For example, the agency sued a number of corporations and individuals who sent e-mails selling access to online pornography.

So don’t get mad. Get even. Forward those emails to spam@uce.gov.