It’s become an unfortunate fact of modern life, but spam and phishing emails have been infiltrating our inboxes for years now. As we receive many of these messages every day (and delete them just as quickly), we understand how overwhelming they can be. Not only do they increase the risk of being scammed or having sensitive information compromised, they also take up space in your already crowded inbox. In this article, we will give our readers some tips and tricks to identify and avoid the most common spam, so that you do not fall victim to the most recurring traps.
Why is my email full of spam?
Spam and junk mail can be incredibly annoying, but the sad reality is that it’s a common problem that many people face. We receive so much of this type of content because spammers use automated tools called “bots” to send thousands of emails at once. These bots often use techniques to harvest email addresses from websites, forums and other public sources, which means that anyone who publishes their address online may be at risk. Also, spammers often buy and sell lists of email addresses to each other, which further increases the chances of receiving unwanted content.
How do I prevent my email address from being exploited by cybercriminals?
Dedicate an email address only to newsletters and marketing actions.
Protecting your email inbox against cybercrime is key to protecting you and your business from malicious activity. It only takes one careless click to have your personal and financial accounts ravaged. To minimize this risk, dedicate an email address that you will only use for newsletters from an e-commerce site and marketing actions. In this way, you will be able to separate your online identity and your profile targeted by canvassing and commercial proposals.
Never respond to unwanted emails.
To protect your mailbox from cybercriminals, simply do not respond to spam emails. Any reaction to these messages, even by opening them, provides hackers with the data they need to confirm that the address is real and is being actively used. There is no advantage to this. All it does is give spammers the green light to continue sending unwanted emails. Don’t be trapped by persistent spam: ignore these messages and enjoy a clean inbox.
Your email address is part of your online identity, think twice before sharing it with someone else.
Verifying a sender’s authenticity before subscribing to their emails is key to protecting your mailbox from abuse. Think carefully about who the email is coming from, or who the sender is, and do your due diligence – make sure you trust the sender before signing up. Also, make sure the company won’t sell or redistribute your data to third-party intermediaries without your permission. By being vigilant and taking precautions, you will protect yourself from cyberattacks that may target your email address. It’s easy to do and can save you a lot of hassle later.
The “unsubscribe” button that you will find on a spam email is only a second invitation.
To prevent your email inbox from being exploited by cybercriminals, one important thing to remember is to never click on the “unsubscribe” link in a spam email. The tempting option presented may seem innocuous, but it’s often a fake link that lets the sender know you’re using that email address. By clicking on this type of link, which is often found next to the sender’s email address or in the footer of the email, your email address may be exposed to other malicious and unwanted messages. Thus, you will only create an even bigger problem. To avoid potential threats from these scammers, stay alert and do not interact with suspicious messages or links in your inbox.
