You likely get email spam and marketing messages regularly. A key difference is that marketing messages are from businesses you have opted into. Spam arrives without your consent, often with misleading information or scare tactics that encourage you to click on a link or perform some other action. Spammers pretend to be real businesses, hoping you’ll share personal information or click harmful links. You can take steps to keep suspicious emails and prevent spam from getting into your inbox.
What are Spam Emails?
Spam is like electronic junk mail. It refers to unsolicited and unwanted emails, often marketing emails. These messages do not always contain viruses, and even legitimate emails can be considered spam if your email filter settings are strict. These are different to phishing emails which are intentionally malicious and intended to cause harm or harvest credentials.
How to Identify Spam Emails
Check the Sender’s Address
You can often identify spam without opening the email so be cautious of unknown senders. Spammers can fake sender names to look like trusted companies. One method is to hover over the sender’s name to check if the email address matches. Watch for misspellings, such as paypol.com instead of paypal.com. Legitimate companies like Amazon won’t use @gmail.com addresses; they use official domains i.e. @amazon.co.uk or @amazon.com.
Consider What Kind of Information is Being Requested
If you get an email with strange health claims, like a wonder drug your doctor is hiding, be cautious! This is probably a hoax, just like quick debt relief offers or unsolicited job offers. These emails may contain viruses or malware in links or attachments. Never click any links or attachments in such messages and don’t reply or share personal info unless you are sure the sender is legitimate. Remember, “curiosity killed the cat”.
Be Wary if the Message is Creating a Sense of Urgency
Spammers frequently create a sense of urgency to pressure you. They may use words like “urgent” or “immediate action required” in the subject line. This tactic is meant to rush you into making a quick decision. Always take a moment to verify the sender’s authenticity before responding to such emails.
Check Grammar and Spelling
The email’s subject line might indicate suspicious content. Avoid opening emails from “sexy singles” or “royalty” in other countries. Be cautious when subjects claim technical issues with your PC or phone. Watch for cryptic or poorly translated phrases. Spammers may use symbols or numbers in words, like “d!et” instead of “diet,” to trick filters. It is important to note that with the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools it is easy for attackers to craft messages that have proper spelling and grammar.
Check Whether the Email Uses Your Name
Some spam messages are tricky, but vague greetings like “Dear Valued Customer” can be a warning sign. Real companies you subscribe to will generally use your name in emails.
Be Wary of Attachments
Legitimate organisations don’t send emails with unexpected attachments because they might contain malware. If you get an email from someone you don’t know asking you to open an attachment, it’s probably spam. Don’t open attachments in emails from unknown senders to prevent malware from being on your device.
How to Reduce Spam Emails
Spam filters help decrease spam, but you can also follow email best practices to block spam from the start. These include the following:
Use Different Email Addresses for Different Purposes
Use different email addresses for work, close friends and family, and sign-ups or subscriptions. If the sign-up email is compromised, you can discard it without risking your other accounts.
Be Careful About How You Share Your Email Address
We share our email addresses with friends, family, and work contacts. Avoid posting them on public forums or social media, where bots and spammers can grab them. Use your email for only the services you actually use.
Be Selective About What You Sign Up To
Share your email address only with trusted organisations. Opt-in only to newsletters you want. Reputable companies make unsubscribing easy and clear.
Use a Third-party Spam Filter
Your email provider has a filter, but adding anti-spam software offers extra security. Emails pass through two filters before reaching your inbox. If one filter misses junk, the second one should catch it. Choose an anti-spam filter that is compatible with your email provider. There are services which are designed to protect you from the more malicious phishing type emails, which also stop you getting spam, so it may be worth looking at something more comprehensive to permanently stop spam emails.
Be Careful How You React to Spam Messages
Avoid clicking or opening spam messages. If unsure, delete them. Never reply to spam, as it signals scammers that your email is active and invites more spam. Avoid clicking links or opening attachments in spam emails to prevent malware or phishing attacks.
Protecting Yourself from Spam Messages
Practice good email security, use spam filters, and block unwanted messages. Here are a couple more steps you can take:
Enable Multi-factor Authentication
Multi-factor or two-factor authentication adds extra security. Even if hackers get your username and password through phishing, they can’t bypass the added authentication steps.
Use Comprehensive Antivirus Software
If you accidentally click on a harmful link or download malware from a spam email, a reliable antivirus can detect the threat and protect your device or network.
If unsure about an email, report it as spam, without opening it, and then delete it. Make use of your email provider’s spam folder to review and confirm potential spam before taking action.
FAQs
How do I stop spam emails permanently?
Stop spam by blocking senders. This prevents their emails from reaching your inbox. Unfortunately, you will never be able to permanently stop all spam emails without some sort of system or service designed specifically for the task.
Why am I suddenly receiving lots of spam emails?
You might suddenly get a lot of spam emails for a few reasons. Someone could have added your email to a mailing list. Clicking on a spam email tells the sender your email is active. Your email might have been sold or shared with third-party marketers.
Is it better to block or delete spam?
Blocking spam emails is better than just deleting them. This helps your email provider improve spam filters and prevents similar messages in the future.
Is it safe to unsubscribe from spam emails?
Opting out of spam emails can lead to more junk mail or malware infections. Opening a suspicious message may compromise security or privacy.
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