Detect and reduce spam emails
Definitions
Spam emails are unwanted messages sent in bulk, often trying to sell something, offer a promotion from a subscribed newsletter, or trick you in the case of scam emails.
Before you start
✅ Spam email is very common nowadays, however you can easily detect and reduce it.
⚠️ Receiving a lot of spam emails is not your fault or related to your email service, however, you can take proactive steps to reduce the quantity you receive.
❌ Do not engage, interact, or click any links within spam emails.
Step by step
Detect spam emails
The first step in reducing spam is being able to detect when an email is spam. Understanding the difference between spam from scam emails and email marketing is important.
Scam emails aim to trick you, while email marketing spam aims to promote or sell a service.
Although both are annoying, their aims differ significantly. Scam emails are always fake and want to steal your money or personal info, whereas email marketing may be legitimate but unwanted solicitation.
Use the common indicators below to help you detect and differentiate between these types of spam emails.
Scam email indicators
🚨 Note: Scam emails can also be spoofed emails, learn more: Email spoofing
1. Urgent requests for personal information: Emails asking for sensitive information like passwords, credit card details, or social security numbers.
2. Suspicious links or attachments: Emails containing unexpected links or attachments that could lead to malicious websites or downloads.
3. Threats or alarming messages: Emails that use scare tactics, such as threatening account closure or legal action if you don’t respond.
4. Too good to be true offers: Promises of large sums of money, prizes, or rewards that seem unrealistic.
5. Unknown or strange sender emails: Emails from unfamiliar sources or addresses that mimic legitimate companies.
Below is a visual example of a spam email that is also a scam.
Email marketing indicators
1. Promotional content: Emails primarily focused on advertising products, services, or special offers.
2. Frequent emails: High volume of emails from the same sender, often sent on a regular schedule.
3. Generic offers: Emails with generic promotions or deals that aren’t personalized to your interests or needs.
4. Subscription-based: Emails received because you signed up for a newsletter or mailing list, but no longer find the content relevant.
5. Consistent branding: Emails featuring the company’s logo, color scheme, and branding elements, often with a clear call to action such as “Buy Now” or “Learn More.”
Below is a visual example of regular email marketing spam promoting services.
Reduce spam emails
You can take simple, proactive steps to reduce spam. Some are one-time actions, while others require ongoing effort. Review and apply the ones most relevant to you to keep your email spam-free.
1. Never respond to spam: Never reply to spam emails. This confirms to spammers that your email address is receptive and they will continue to spam you.
2. Unsubscribe from mailing lists: If you no longer want to receive emails from a subscription service or newsletter, use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.
3. Keep your email address private: Only share your email address with your real contacts and trusted sources. Do not post it online within chatrooms or public forums.
4. Use a secondary email: Consider creating a secondary email address for online shopping, forums, and sign-ups to keep your primary email less cluttered.
5. Block spam email senders: If you notice a particular email address is sending you a lot of spam, put them on your email block list, go here: Add an email address to your block list
6. Use spam filters: Spam filters can be a very effective tool to keep your inbox clean and spam-free with both broad or targetted spam reduction rules, go here: Manage spam filters for your incoming email
7. Adjust spam score: If you find spam volumes getting large and unmanageable, you may want to consider adjusting your default spam score, go here: Manage the spam score for your incoming emails
8. Be cautious with links and attachments: Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. When in doubt, do not click or download.
9. Report spam: Use the “Report spam” or “Junk” button in your email app to report spam messages if they become incessant, which over time trains your app to better recognize spam.
10. Use contact forms on your website: Do not place your email address in plain text on your website, this makes you an easy target for scrapers and bots. Use a contact form with reCAPTCHA activated instead.