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How to fight spam – tips to avoid spam

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1-Never give out or post your email address publicly

You should remember that everyone can easily access the Internet. That means, spammers are also lurking on the Internet and are constantly seeking available email addresses to which they will send spam emails. Posting your email address publicly allows others to send spam emails to you, or worse, hack your account if you are using a weak password.

2-Think before you click

There might be instances where your email service providers’ automated email filter mistakenly marks legitimate emails as spam emails due to their content (e.g. the email contains a hyperlink). However, in most cases, emails marked as “SPAM” or redirected to the spam folder of your mailbox are sent by spammers. Subjects of spam messages usually include an offer of cheap prescription drugs, advertisements for new medicines, and the status of packages from shipping companies. Make sure that you scrutinize the content of spam emails before opening any attachments (even if it looks like an innocent text or image file) or clicking on hyperlinks. Refrain from downloading content blocked by your email service providers in such emails too.

3-Do not reply to spam messages

Almost all spam messages are malicious emails sent by unknown sources. These sources could be hackers who aim to hack into the computers of their victims. Never respond to spam messages because, through this, the spammer will know that the email address is active and thus, it increases the chance of your email being constantly targeted by the spammer.

4-Download spam filtering tools and anti-virus software

Spam filtering tools and anti-virus software can help to scan the emails that you received for malware. If the emails that you received contain malware, the malicious content would be quarantined and you would be prevented from opening it. This helps to alleviate the chance of emails containing malware infecting your computer. As such, do select spam filtering tools and anti-virus software with such features to reduce your woes of having to decipher email contents.

5-Avoid using your personal or business email address

Do not use your personal or business email address when registering in any online contest or service such as applications, deal updates, etc. Many spammers watch these groups or email lists to harvest new email addresses.