In technical terms, when we hear or read the word “spam” tagged on the word message, we immediately know what it means. It is about an irrelevant, inappropriate or unsolicited message sent via email to your inbox. And we must admit that spam messages are something we’re not fond of. As much as we can, we don’t want to see any spam messages lingering in our email inbox because of its potential danger.
The good thing is that email services provide filtering messages for the incoming emails to our inbox, ensuring to put these unsolicited messages in the spam folder. On the contrary, this feature in our email is not flawless because there are instances that some messages are being tagged spam even if they’re not.
But does filtering messages and letting our email account be filtered automatically really help to stop spam from showing up in our inboxes? What potential danger a spam message may cause to our email and to our information?
In this blog, we will dive into discussing what spam messages are and the potential danger it brings.
Why Do We Receive Spam Messages?
Oftentimes, spam messages are sent to you for commercial purposes. Let’s say, for example, you signed up for online promotion and without reading, there is some content indicating that you will be part of the mailing list. Obviously, when we’re signing up on forms, we often skip reading the entire terms and conditions simply because we don’t want to waste our time. But, in reality, reading is important to avoid any problems in the future.
Although, in general, spam messages sent to your inbox frequently can be frustrating. But it is actually low cost compared to traditional mail which is why there are, but not all, companies that use spam messages for commercial purposes.
On the other hand, we must understand that a spam message may not only come from companies where you signed up on their forms previously. In some cases, it is also used by online scammers and hackers to get your personal information—which we should avoid.
The Dark Side Of Spam Emails
Spam messaging is also used, unfortunately, by some people, like hackers and identity thieves, who want to take advantage of you—even if you did not sign anything from them. Malicious spam messages can potentially access your confidential information. And this is the reason why there is a feature on our email where it detects spam messages and blocks them to land in your inbox.
Can You Stop Spam?
Completely stopping spam email can be hard to stop. It can be the same thing as determining and tracking spammers. This is why, as advised by many email service platforms and many online security experts, when you receive an anonymous email with an odd email address, it is better to mark it as spam instead of opening it. If, perhaps, you have opened it, do not click any registrations or subscription links along with its attached files because it would potentially trigger downloading and installing malicious software that would put your information compromised.
Are Spam Messages Dangerous?
There is a high chance for spam messages to be dangerous, especially when it was sent to your email. As mentioned, opening it can even trigger attachments to automatically download to your computer. Worst case scenario is if the attachment is malicious software that may potentially have a virus or special computer coding to reveal your personal information on the spam sender’s end. And you don’t want to be a victim of identity theft, right?
It may be hard to believe at first, unless it happens to you, that a spam message coming from a hacker allows them to verify when you open the email. What more is that if they gain remote access to your computer which may result in a lot of trouble, especially when you have important files saved.
What Are The Most Common Types Of Spam?
In general, there are many types of spam that can sometimes be hard to remember. But in this blog, we will share with you the four most common types of spam.
Phishing
This is considered the most common type of spam that you may receive in your email. This type of spam is commonly sent via email but can also be sent on chats, website ads, or a link through a website. In this type of spam, there is a sense of urgency giving you false information as it pretends to be an institution.
The most common example is that the spammer would pretend to be someone from a legitimate institution and would ask for your personal information including your financial information.
Baiting
Have you heard of ‘clickbait’? This is similar to it. The only difference is that you will receive an email offering sales promotions or job opportunities. It would ask you to click the link provided in the email. Once you click it, it will redirect you to a website to either fill out a form. It can sound inviting, promising you to get a discount, buy something at an affordable price, or promise you that you would win money.
Sometimes, baiting is about inviting you to download something like expensive software but would be offered to you to be downloaded for free. And the worst part is, as you download it, you’re also giving them access to your personal information. Your information that you provided could potentially be used for evil intentions as the scammer poses as you.
How To Avoid Email Spam Messages
As mentioned, spam messages may be hard to block from coming into your email. But what you can do best is to not open it when you receive one. Immediately tag it as spam or delete that malicious email. Also, you can block the email sender.
What you need to do to determine what a spam message is is to check the email sender. Anonymous email sender of a spam message is obviously not in your contact list. If by chance it lands in your inbox, here’s what you can do:
- Instead of opening the message to avoid potential danger, you can hover on the sender’s email to check the email.
- Check if it has an odd combination of characters that are used.
- Check the domain of the email if it has a weird name instead of Google, Hotmail, Yahoo, or other known email service provider.
- Tag it as spam or immediately delete them.
Most spam emails are coming from unencrypted email service providers. This is already a red flag.
