Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to stop spam emails from dropping in your mail. However, there are steps to ensure that they are reduced to the barest minimum. These steps are going to be discussed shortly, but first, let’s talk about spam or junk emails and how annoying they are.
Spam Emails
Spam email, often known as junk mail, refers to unwanted mail sent in bulk to a large number of email accounts. The majority of spam takes the form of relatively harmless emails from advertisers. Spam is a safe, high-reward strategy for scammers to launch phishing attacks.
Simply opening a spam email can lead to more spam, and clicking a dangerous link or attachment might expose you to ransomware or other sorts of malware, which spreads from inbox to inbox.
As you read, you will discover how to stop spam emails by modifying your privacy settings and taking into account your online behaviors. This article will walk you through the process of reporting and blocking spam, as well as instruct you on how to unsubscribe from unwanted spam email campaigns.
Read about: What Is Ransomware: Definition, Types, Examples & How It Works
Steps on How to Stop Spam Emails: Comprehensive Guide
The following steps will help stop spam emails from taking over your mailbox
#1. Have your email client filter out potential spam senders.
Use your email client to block spam email addresses. By blocking an email address, you’re certain to have all unwanted messages from that sender in the future land up in your spam or junk mail folder.
When it comes to preventing future spam, this won’t be very helpful because spammers swiftly switch to new email addresses. However, your email provider will receive useful data from it that they may utilize to enhance their email filters.
#2. When creating new accounts, use an email alias.
Email aliases enable you to safeguard your email privacy and maintain the anonymity of your identity. You can use these generic email addresses to register for mailing lists and websites without letting the websites know what your real email address is.
Thanks to this, you receive all emails addressed to the alias in a different part of your primary inbox, block spam senders, and quickly manage your inbox.
#3. Mark eerie emails as spam (don’t open them).
It takes effort to manually remove spam emails, and doing so won’t stop that address from sending you additional junk mail. By reporting spam messages, you can improve the effectiveness of your service provider’s spam blocking and filtering.
#4. Remove yourself from unwelcome email lists.
Advertisements and marketing newsletters that never stop can easily grow tiresome. You can quickly unsubscribe from them if they are from reputable companies you signed up with (perhaps when you made a purchase in the past), which will stop future communications and clear out your inbox.
How to proceed:
Instead of pressing the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of the email, visit the company’s website to unsubscribe from any valid mailing list subscriptions. This keeps you safe from phony and malicious phishing emails that pretend to be “unsubscribe” links.
Read: What Is a Common Indicator of a Phishing Attempt?
You should report the email as spam and delete it if you can’t identify the sender. This is due to the fact that any communication you have with the spammer will identify you as a potential customer with a functioning email account.
#5. Disable image “auto-load.”
When “auto-load” is enabled, pictures are downloaded automatically, giving spammers access to the information. The majority of the main email service providers include a provision that prevents external content and automated photo downloads.
How to proceed:
Verify whether you can turn off “auto-load” for photos from your service, and if so, do so. For some services, such as Outlook, this is on by default.
#6. Look for your email address and passwords on the Dark Web.
You can find out if a data breach resulted in the disclosure of your personal information to hackers. Safeguard your account credentials if they were compromised and posted on the Dark Web.
How to proceed:
Update your passwords for any accessed accounts right away if you discover that your account information has been compromised (it’s a good idea to update your other passwords as well, just in case).
#7. Install antivirus software to safeguard your gadgets.
Although it cannot prevent spam from reaching you, an antivirus program can shield you in the event that you unintentionally click on a link or download a harmful file.
Certain identity theft tools automatically identify and isolate malware, keeping your device safe from infection by ransomware, spyware, and malware. Additionally, they automatically prevent you from visiting dangerous websites that can steal your personal data.
How to proceed:
Installing and downloading a top-notch antivirus program will shield you from phishing websites and perform a virus check on downloaded files.
#8. Create new email accounts to start over.
It’s best to start over if spam is taking over your email account. You can have peace of mind by moving all of your important accounts—financial, government, etc.—to a new email address with a small amount of effort.
How to proceed:
Make a new email account and be selective about where and when you share it.
Opt for an email provider that has a more stringent spam filter.
#9. Quit providing websites with your email address.
Whether you’re joining a new social media site or subscribing to newsletters, there are risks associated with disclosing your email address online. Not only are you inviting a deluge of spam emails into your account, but there’s always a chance of a data breach that might provide hackers with the information they need to hack or pass for you.
To stop spam emails, take your main email address off your social media accounts. Set a backup email address, sometimes known as an email alias, that you can use for any necessary purposes, such as ordering online or registering for a new service. If you have a personal website, take your email address down.
#10. Recognize the obvious symptoms of a scam email.
Phishing emails are getting more complex, which makes it more difficult to recognize them. However, you may recognize and steer clear of phishing emails by using some common indicators and general guidelines.
How to proceed:
Watch out for the obvious indicators of a phishing email. This includes solicitations for personal information, emails with unclear senders, and spelling and grammar mistakes in the subject line and body.
Email attachments should never be downloaded or clicked on unless you are positive the sender is someone you can trust. Never respond to scam emails or provide personal information.
Reporting emails as spam
You can manually trash emails, but this will not prevent spammers from sending you more in the future. It also won’t protect you from viruses or other types of malware contained in unwanted emails; you’ll need a malware cleanup solution for that.
To properly block spam, you must report it. This allows your email client to learn which email addresses to block and how to filter spam more broadly.
Below is a guide on how to report spam on Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook, and Yahoo:
How to report unwanted emails as spam on Gmail
- Launch Google Mail.
- Mark the box to the left of each spam email you want to report, and then click the “Report” button.
- After that, under the toolbar for the mailbox, select the button labeled “Report Spam” (it looks like a stop sign).
How to report unwanted emails as spam on Apple Mail
- Launch the Apple Mail app.
- After selecting the spam email you wish to report, navigate to the mailbox toolbar and click on the icon labeled Junk Mail.
How to report unwanted emails as spam on Microsoft Outlook
- Open Microsoft Outlook.
- Use the right mouse button to select the spam email you want to report.
- Navigate to the Security settings menu, and then click the Mark as junk option.
How to report unwanted emails as spam on Yahoo Mail
- Launch the Yahoo Mail app.
- Mark the box to the left of each spam email you want to report, and then click the “Report” button.
- Then, on the toolbar for the mailbox, select the button labeled “Spam.”
Why am I suddenly bombarded with spam emails?
You may begin to receive a large number of spam emails for a variety of reasons, including the following: your email address was recently added to a spammer’s database, you unintentionally signed up for a service or subscribed to a mailing list, or you reacted to a phishing message asking for your personal information.
How do I permanently get rid of spam emails?
To permanently block spam emails, designate them as spam or create filters that drive them to your spam folder. You could also unsubscribe from mailing lists or newsletters that you are no longer interested in receiving.
Is unsubscribing from spam emails safe?
Unsubscribing from spam emails is generally not safe because it indicates to the sender that your email account is active and encourages them to send more junk. Instead, designate the mail as spam and set up filters to direct future messages from the same sender to your spam folder.
What happens when you unsubscribe from spam?
Unsubscribing from spam emails might have numerous consequences:
- You get off a legitimate company that follows proper email marketing practices:
If the email is from a reputable organization that follows correct email marketing procedures, hitting “unsubscribe” will remove your email address from their mailing list.
- Increased spam emails:
Unfortunately, by clicking “unsubscribe” on some spam emails, you might unintentionally confirm that a real person is watching your email account. Because spammers now know your email address is active, they may sell it to other spammers, resulting in a spike in spam emails.
- Risks to your security:
Clicking links in spam emails, especially the “unsubscribe” link, can put you in danger. The link could take you to a phishing website designed to steal your personal information or install malware on your system.
How can you stop spam emails?
Create filters that send spam emails directly to your spam folder to block them. You can also label unwelcome emails as spam to assist your email provider in identifying and blocking similar spam messages in the future.
How do I get rid of spam emails without opening them?
Simply select the message and delete it without opening it to eliminate spam emails. You can also set up filters to delete messages that fit certain criteria, such as having specified terms or arriving from specific senders or email addresses.
Is it better to block spam or delete it?
It is often preferable to block spam emails rather than delete them. This aids your email provider’s spam filtering and reduces the possibility of similar communications surfacing in the future.
HOW TO SIGN UP PHONE NUMBER FOR SPAM CALLS
How to Easily Delete All Promotions in Gmail 2023: (+ Free Tips)
THREAT ACTOR: Definition, Types & Examples
EMAIL SPAMMER BOT: What It Means & All to Know
References
