Have you ever received an email like this?
“Congratulations! Your email has been selected as the lucky winner of $1,000,000 in the Global International Lottery. To claim your prize, please provide your personal information, including your bank account details. Act fast to secure your winnings!”
Or perhaps something like—
“Hello, we are excited to offer you an amazing work-from-home opportunity with a starting salary of $5,000 per month. No experience is required! Click below to apply now.”
Maybe you’ve even seen—
“Doctors Hate This! Discover the secret natural remedy that cures diabetes, cancer, and heart disease without medication. Order now to receive our miracle cure at a 50% discount.”
Well, these are nothing but some classic examples of spam emails.
Many of us have encountered these kinds of enticing emails, and unfortunately, some people have even fallen for the promises they make.
Spam and junk emails are unwanted messages sent to many people simultaneously, often trying to trick you. They can be dangerous, as some are scams that try to steal your personal information, while others contain links that can infect your device with harmful software.
In this blog, we will learn about spam mail, its impact, and how to deal with it. Let’s get started.
What is a Spam Email?
Email spam, or junk mail, is unwanted messages sent in bulk to many people at once.
Spam can be sent by humans or automated botnets.
Spamming has been around for decades, even before computers became widely used.
The first spam email was sent in 1978 by marketing manager Gary Thuerk. He emailed around 400 people to promote his company’s new computer model, which led to $13 million in sales.
If not managed properly, spam can disrupt work by flooding users with unwanted emails. It also poses a security risk, as spam messages may contain harmful links or malware that let cyber-criminals access devices or steal sensitive information.
Some Shocking Spam Email Statistics
- In 2023, over 160 billion spam emails were sent every day.
- Spam now accounts for 45% of all email traffic, though this percentage has decreased over the years due to actions against botnets.
- Businesses lose an average of $1,934 per employee each year because of spam.
- Older adults, especially those aged 65 and over, are most frequently targeted by scams, suffering significant financial losses.
- The United States, China, and Germany are among the top countries for daily spam email volume.
- Common spam email themes include prizes and giveaways, job offers and bank-related scams.
How Does Spam Email Work?
Cyber-criminals deploy spambots, which are automated programs that gather email addresses from the internet, to send out many harmful emails at once. They often use a “spray and pray” approach, sending mass emails in hopes that some recipients will click on the spam links.
Sending spam is easy and inexpensive, allowing spammers to quickly send millions of emails, which can lead to significant profits. This makes it essential to have strong spam protection for cybersecurity.
How Do Spammers Find Your Email Address?
Spammers often search through newsgroups and chatrooms where users are likely to share their information.
Spambots look for the “@” symbol in these forums to find possible targets.
They also use misleading websites that offer prizes in exchange for email addresses and carry out dictionary attacks on large email servers, where they guess email addresses to find valid ones.
Once spammers get email addresses, they often share them with others, which increases the number of spam messages that people receive.
Types of Email Spams
Commercial Advertisements
Companies often collect your email and sign you up for newsletters without your permission. To avoid this, look for an opt-in checkbox when entering your email. These emails should also allow you to unsubscribe easily. If that doesn’t work, you can block the sender.
Antivirus Warnings
Fake antivirus emails claim your computer is at risk and ask you to click a link for a scan. Clicking these links can install malware or let hackers in. If you get one of these emails, ignore it and use trusted security software instead.
Email Spoofing
Phishing scams pretend to be real company emails to trick you. Spammers copy the look of trusted brands. Always check the sender’s actual email address before clicking links or replying. If unsure, contact the company to verify the email.
Sweepstakes Winners
That’s a common type of scam email. Such emails claim that you have won a prize to get your quick response. They ask you to submit your details so that you can get your prize quickly. Or they may ask you to click a link. This way, such emails trick you into revealing your info to the scammers.
Therefore, if you don’t recognize the contest, don’t click any links or share your information.
Money Scams
Such spam emails promise high returns for sharing bank details or paying fees. Be cautious before giving personal information or sending money.
How to Spot a Spam Email
Suspicious Sender: Always check the sender’s email address to make sure it’s real.
Vague or Urgent Subject Lines: Spam often uses unclear or alarming subject lines, such as “Urgent Action Required” or “Account Closure Notice.”
Requests for Personal Information: Be wary of emails asking for sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers.
How to Deal with Spam Emails
Be Cautious Online
To avoid spam, be careful with your email address. Don’t post it on public sites where spammers can see it. Use a separate email for online sign-ups and purchases, and be cautious of emails you didn’t ask for, even if they look real.
Strengthen Email Security
Keep your email account secure by using a strong password that’s hard to guess. Enable two-factor authentication for extra protection and regularly update your email software to fix security issues.
Ignore and Delete Spam Emails
When you get spam emails, just ignore them and delete them. Don’t reply, as this lets spammers know your email is active. Deleting spam helps keep your inbox tidy.
Mark as Spam
Mark unwanted emails as spam to help your email program recognize them in the future. Report any phishing emails to your email provider or authorities.
Use Spam Filters
Activate the spam filters in your email client to automatically block unwanted messages. You can also check out third-party spam filters for better protection.
Unsubscribe from Unwanted Mail
If you get emails you don’t want, use the unsubscribe links to stop them. Be careful with these links in suspicious emails to avoid phishing scams.
Block Senders
You can block specific email addresses that send spam. Consider blocking entire domains to further reduce unwanted emails.
Over to You…
Now that you understand what spam emails are and how to handle them, remember that this issue can seem minor until it leads to significant problems. It’s your responsibility to protect your security, especially in a world where cybercrime is on the rise. Stay safe!
