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Spam and phishing emails are something almost everyone encounters, and they can be incredibly frustrating. These unwanted communications clutter your inbox and often require time-consuming sorting or deletion. Even more concerning is that careless handling of these messages can lead to falling prey to scams. Surprisingly, spam emails can offer insights or serve as a warning for potential scam victims, which is a reason to reconsider their deletion.
The Importance of Keeping Spam Emails
Most leading email providers have implemented sophisticated spam filters that are continuously improving in identifying unwanted emails. An essential part of their effectiveness involves learning from the samples they encounter; this is where spam emails come into play.
Instead of hitting the delete button on spam emails, consider the following approach:
- If you use an email client like Outlook or Thunderbird, take the time to manually categorize any relevant emails as spam (or “junk”) if your client hasn’t already done so. This user-training helps enhance the spam filter’s accuracy, ideally reducing the volume of junk mail you receive over time.
- For those accessing email via a web browser, different providers have various methods for flagging unwanted emails as spam. If you notice junk emails appearing in your inbox rather than the spam folder, you can easily select these messages and use the “Spam” or “Junk” option from the menu to move them. This action can also be done on individual emails through a “Move” option located above the email content.
By following these steps both personally and professionally, you contribute to a cleaner email experience for yourself and your colleagues. By marking spam, you also help to blacklist unwanted senders more effectively, potentially sparing others from the same scams you’ve dealt with.
Note: Junk emails are commonly deleted from their respective folders after a 30-day period, so storage issues are seldom a concern, even if you don’t remove them yourself. If your junk folder isn’t clearing as expected, consider emptying it manually once a month.
Warning: Avoid Unsubscribing from Spam Emails
Many email clients now feature a one-click unsubscribe option aimed at helping users easily exit from unwanted newsletters and promotional emails. While convenient, this function can pose risks, especially with fraudulent messages.
By clicking unsubscribe, you may inadvertently confirm to the sender that your email address is active and monitored. Many spammers send out bulk emails to random addresses, often not knowing which are real or engaged. When you unsubscribe, you signal to scammers that your email is indeed valid, prompting them to target you further.
Helpful Strategies for Email Safety
Follow these simple guidelines to better shield yourself from spam and online scams:
- Stay Skeptical: It might sound basic, but a healthy dose of suspicion can protect against cybercrime. If something seems off about a sender or message content, be cautious, especially with payment requests or soliciting personal information.
- Keep Your Composure: If an email demands immediate action, take a step back. Legitimate companies typically do not rush their customers or threaten actions like reminders without reason.
- Refrain from Clicking Links: Instead of following links in emails, manually type the URL into your browser or search for the site through a search engine, if you know it.
- Avoid Opening Unknown Attachments: Be cautious with attachments from unknown senders, as they can harbor malware. This includes a wide range of files, from documents to images, and execution files like EXE or archives like ZIP.
- Protect Yourself Digitally: Utilize reputable anti-spam and antivirus software for an extra layer of security.
As spammers and scammers grow increasingly sophisticated, even seasoned users can find themselves ensnared. To enhance your digital safety, consider investing in professional software designed to make life difficult for these cybercriminals.
Bitdefender Total Security
Bitdefender Total Security is adept at offering protection against scammers and malware, featuring tools for virus defense, firewalls, and ransomware protection. It tackles network, web, and email threats, noting malicious links and alerting users to dangerous attachments. Additionally, it detects spam within popular email clients like Mozilla Thunderbird and Microsoft Outlook.
You can also engage with Bitdefender’s free scam detector chatbot (“Scammio”) to analyze suspicious messages you might receive.
Avast One
For those seeking an economical yet effective option for spam and virus protection, Avast One delivers robust protection against deceptive websites and unauthorized webcam access, along with blocking spam on mobile devices. Its user-friendly interface simplifies navigating its suite of services, which are often offered at competitive prices.
Norton 360 Deluxe
Norton has expanded its offerings significantly in recent years. Norton 360 Deluxe, which we consider the leading antivirus solution, boasts multiple levels of protection for your digital privacy. It can reliably identify threats in links and attachments while monitoring the dark web for your sensitive information. Parental controls and a utility that identifies outdated or vulnerable software round out its extensive features.