Did you know nearly 320 billion emails were sent every day in 2021? Out of this number, more than 45% of these emails were spam. According to SpamLaws, the daily average spam emails dropped from 316 billion to 122 billion between 2020 and 2021.
In fact, advertising makes up 36% of all spam content. This means that an individual email account has received plenty of spam emails. These spam emails range from strange email addresses to bulk messages from companies you haven’t signed up with.
Spam emails can be annoying but can turn potentially dangerous at worst as scammers use spam emails to exploit vulnerable users. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can stop receiving these emails from reaching your account.
Easy Ways to Stop Spam Emails
Although you may not be able to stop spam emails entirely, using preventive measures will reduce the number you receive in your inbox. This is what you should do:
1. Keep Your Email Address Private
Users can easily access the internet. This gives way to scammers looking to exploit weak users by seeking out their email addresses to send spam emails. So, ensure that your email address remains private. Don’t post your email address on any public platforms, as this would allow others to send spam messages to you. Worse comes to worst; your account can get hacked if you have a weak password.
2. Think a Thousand Times Before Clicking on Any Attached Links
Emails marked as spam or directed to your spam folders generally are from spammers. The subject of these spam emails can range from advertisements to reset your passwords. These emails can be convincing and look legitimate with multiple links attached.
However, take the time to carefully scrutinize these spam emails before clicking on the links it includes. Refrain from downloading any content that your email service provider has blocked.
3. Never Reply to Spam Messages
Most spam messages are malicious emails sent to users from unknown sources. These sources include scammers and hackers aiming to access your laptop or smart device. So, don’t respond to spam emails as the spammer or hacker will know that the email is active, increasing the chances of getting consistently targeted by the spammer or hacker.
4. Use Anti-Virus Software or Spam Filtering Tools
Anti-virus software and spam filtering tools help users scan emails for malware. If emails that you receive contain malware, the software will quarantine the malicious content and prevent you from opening them. This will reduce the chances of emails infecting your smart device.
5. Opt Out of Data Brokers
Data or information brokers may be the reason why you are receiving a high influx of spam. These are companies that collect your sensitive data (including your email address and phone number) from a variety of sources – be it social media or publicly available records. It is possible to manually opt out from information brokers, which typically entails filling in and submitting an opting-out form. Such a process, however, can be time-consuming and ineffective as your data can be acquired by other companies or re-acquired by the same brokers in the future.
A more effective solution is subscribing to data removal services, which can automatically take care of the opting out process by contacting data brokers on your behalf. As a result, you can minimize the amount of spam you receive and strengthen your protection against cyber threats.
Conclusion
The internet is full of malicious content. Protecting our accounts from spammers and hackers should be our top priority. Remain cautious in opening emails and only open emails from trusted (known) sources, never from senders that look dubious.
