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Home › Privacy, Identity & Online Security › Online Security › How To Get Less
Spam in Your Email


HOW TO GET LESS SPAM IN YOUR EMAIL




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Spam email can be annoying. Worse, it can include scammy offers that can cost
you time and money. Here are some things you can do to get fewer spam emails.
 * How To Get Fewer Spam Emails
 * How Not To Be a Spam Bot
 * Report Spam


HOW TO GET FEWER SPAM EMAILS

Use an email filter. Check your email account to see if it has a tool to filter
out potential spam or to funnel spam into a junk email folder. Many popular
email providers (like Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo) have strong spam filters on by
default. But there are some things you can do to make them work even better. For
example, if you see any spam that makes it through to your Inbox, be sure to
mark is as Spam or Junk. You can usually also block specific email addresses or
email domains (the part of the address after the @). Remember that the filter
isn’t perfect, so you’ll also want to occasionally check your Spam or Junk
folders to make sure any legit, non-spam email didn’t end up in there.

Limit your exposure. You might decide to use two email addresses — one for
personal messages and one for shopping, newsletters, coupons, and other
services. If you want to be able to see all your emails in one place, you can
usually set up email forwarding to your primary email account. You can set it up
to come into a separate folder or your main Inbox. That way, if the second email
address starts getting spam, you can shut off the forwarding without affecting
your permanent address.

Also, try not to display your email address in public — including on social
media sites or in online membership directories. Spammers scan websites to
harvest email addresses.

 * Consider who you share your email address with. When a website asks for your
   email address, pause and consider whether you want to share this information.
   Different websites handle your privacy differently. Some will share or sell
   your information, while others will only use it for limited reasons. You can
   also check the privacy policy to see how the company may share your contact
   information, but it might be hard to tell exactly how it’s shared.

 * Unsubscribe from unwanted emails. Many popular email providers have features
   that help you unsubscribe from email lists. They may show up as a banner or
   as a button when you open the email. To find out what options your email
   provider has, search “[your email provider name] + how to unsubscribe from
   unwanted emails” on your favorite search engine. This lets you avoid clicking
   on unknown links, which can lead to a phishing attack.


HOW NOT TO BE A SPAM BOT

Hackers and spammers troll the internet looking for computers, phones, tablets,
and other connected devices that aren’t protected by up-to-date security
software. When they find unprotected devices, they try to install hidden
software — called malware — that lets them control the devices remotely.

Many thousands of these devices linked together make up a “botnet” — a network
used by spammers to send millions of emails at once. Millions of computers,
phones, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, like smart cameras or voice
assistants, can be part of botnets. In fact, most spam is sent this way.

You don’t want spammers to use your device. It can cause a lot of issues, from
slow devices, legal trouble if attacks are traced to you, and stolen personal
information that can be used for identity theft.

Here’s how to reduce the chances that your device will become part of a botnet:

 * Keep your device’s security updated. To be secure and effective, the software
   that comes with your device needs occasional updates. Whether you have a new
   or existing device, visit the manufacturer’s website to see if there’s a
   newer version of the software to download. Register your device with the
   manufacturer or sign up to get updates to keep the software current. Set your
   updates to download automatically and, if possible, set up your device to
   automatically update.

 * Change your preset passwords. Your device might have a standard default
   password from the manufacturer. Hackers can find the default passwords
   easily, so change yours to something more complex and secure.

 * Detect and get rid of malware. It can be hard to tell if a spammer installed
   malware on your computer, but there are some warning signs. If your computer
   was hacked or infected by a virus, take it offline right away. Then take
   steps to remove the malware and report it to the FTC.


REPORT SPAM

If you get an unwanted email, there are two ways to report it.

Forward unwanted or deceptive messages to:

 * your email provider (like Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo). Most email services
   include buttons to mark messages as junk mail or report spam.
 * the sender’s email provider, if you can tell who it is. Most web mail
   providers and ISPs want to cut off spammers who abuse their systems. Again,
   make sure to include the entire spam email and say that you're complaining
   about spam.

You can also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Tagged with: computer security, cyber security, email, online fraud
May 2021


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