E-mail has become an integral part of our lives, however,
the flipside of it is that it can become annoying.
Especially when it comes in the form of spam.
The definition of spam is that it is any “…unsolicited message or posting, regardless
of its content, that is sent to multiple recipients…” Not only does it clog up your inbox, it can
also be dangerous. Spam can contain viruses or phishing emails that try to
steal your online identity and credit cards.
It is reported that as much as 94 percent of all emails you
receive is considered spam that is not only slowing down servers, affecting the
performance of PCs and other computer hardware, but also your work performance
too.
There are many tactics that spammers use to gather email
addresses. Some set up fake websites to get you to sign up for something in
order to capture email addresses while others use advertising malware to send
spam. They can also build their email lists by using scripts to compile email
addresses from bulletin boards, websites, newsgroups and forums. Some unethical webmasters will even sell email
addresses to spammers.
Just like sending junk mail to your mailbox, spammers send
unsolicited email hoping that you’ll buy their products or services. With the
cost of emails running in the pennies, spammers can afford to send out millions
of emails. They only need a few responses in order to make a profit from their
campaigns.
To reduce the amount of spam that comes to your email
account, here are a few tips:
1.
Never click
on anything in an unfamiliar email.
If you don't know the sender - don't open it! Any response made on an
unfamiliar email lets the spammer know that your email address is active and
will leave the opportunity for them to send more spam. Be wary of emails from senders that you don’t
recognize that hold attachments. They may certainly have viruses.
2.
Never
send personal information through email. Watch out for emails that request any
personal information from you. Be careful of any email messages that ask you to
send credit card numbers, passwords or any personal information through email. Spammers
will create fake e-mails that look like they are from PayPal, Facebook, or
other popular sites. In many cases, clicking on these emails will lead you to a
third-party site that will try to trick you in providing personal information. And under any circumstances, do not email
anyone your social security number.
3.
Don’t
open an unfamiliar email until you have blocked HTML images. By blocking graphics and HTML images in
your emails, it prevents spammers from being alerted when you open the message.
Tracking software embedded in the HMTL can identify when an email has been
opened by the image that has been uploaded on your browser or email provider.
4.
Watch out
for red-flag terms. Beware of phrases, such as "You have won!" , “How to
collect your prize!” or "Verify
your account." These are ways for spammers to try to get you to click
on the email and see if it’s an active email address.
Each of the suggestions above in isolation doesn’t provide
you with the best protection. When you combine all of them together, along with
using proper anti-spam software, and being wary of divulging personal
information online will make for an effective protection against unwanted
email.
