How To Reduce Unwanted Spam Emails

Spam emails have become more and more cunning recently. And it would help if you have the latest knowledge on the best ways to avoid a scam.

Spam emails are one of the most widely utilized hacking tools to access computers and phones. As we get further into this article, you will learn tricks to watch out for in spotting a spam email and preventing a possible scam. One thing to remember regarding spam emails is that spammers always try to find new ways to trick you into handing over sensitive information. Be vigilant, and if something looks slightly suspicious, it probably is. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Tips to ensure you are staying safe and protected

1. Be suspicious. Don’t just trust an email because it has a company logo

The most important thing is to stay suspicious. Not all Emails are secure, and hackers know the best ways to make an email look and seem legit. Don’t be fooled if an email has a legitimate-looking company logo. Scammers can replicate logos to any mail, and it can be hard to tell.

2. Don’t click on any links or open any attachments

If you need clarification on who sent you a link or where a link is leading you, don’t open it. If an attachment is attached to an email that looks suspicious, do not open it. These two simple measures reduce the risk of spammers gaining access to your computer.

3. Beware of spelling mistakes

Spam emails can be easy to spot because they look rushed and contain simple spelling mistakes or sentences that need clarification. They may have poor grammar and emboldened words or phrases used to instil a sense of urgency, such as “Hurry”, “Now”, and “Urgent”. It can be a big giveaway as to whether an email is legit. Think, if it was that urgent, wouldn’t they call you in the first place?

4. If it’s essential, it’s unlikely a company will email you

It is unlikely that your bank will email you with urgent information. Usually, if your bank needs to get hold of you, they will call you. Banks will only ask for your card details through email if they state the reason for asking for them in the first place.

If you see an email from your bank asking for your information, delete the message. And notify the bank of the email that you’ve received. You can help prevent someone else from getting scammed, too.

5. Check the email address and domain name

Scammers may send emails from addresses that don’t look legitimate but come from the company’s name, such as “Barclays Bank Alerts”. If you click on the name, it will show you the actual address, and more times than not, it comes from an illegitimate-looking address containing a random string of numbers and letters. Most legitimate email domain names will have come from a public domain, for example, @gmail.com or @icloud.com. If it is something like @urgent000.com, you know it is spam.

Always check the links for the website address that any links are sending you to. If it’s fake, the links will not point to an official business website, which should raise your alarm and allow you to see it coming from an unknown source.
Whilst there is no way to ensure your inbox stays free from any spam emails, there are some preventative measures you can take to lessen the risk of receiving spam.

If you receive a spam email, mark it as spam. By doing so, future messages from this sender will not get through, or it will say spam in the message’s title. And it may help cut down on your spam mail in the future.

Do not interact with the spam message. Once you have marked it as spam, delete it so that you do not click on it by accident. If you can help it, try not to open the email.

Try to avoid giving out your email address as much as possible. An excellent way to do this is to create a secondary email account to sign up for things online. It will allow you to have one email for personal use and one for multiple mailing lists. Remember, as soon as you input your email address somewhere online, the likelihood is that you are signing up for a mailing list.

Sam Ashford - Author

Hey, I'm Sam Ashford! I have 20 years of experience in the IT industry. I have worked as a security analyst, trainer, and writer at Synergy-UK for over ten years.