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Why do I get so much spam and unwanted email in my inbox? And how can I get rid of it?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kayleen-manwaring-8735">Kayleen Manwaring</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Spam might not have brought an end to the internet or email, as some dire predictions <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-spam-could-destroy-the-internet/">in the early 2000s</a> claimed it could – but it’s still a massive pain.</p> <p>Despite all the spam being removed by spam-filtering technologies, most people still receive spam every day. How do these messages end up flooding our inboxes? And are there any legal consequences for the senders?</p> <h2>What is spam?</h2> <p>The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) noted in 2004 “there does not appear to be a widely agreed and workable definition for spam” across jurisdictions – and this remains true today.</p> <p>That said, “spam” generally <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/232784860063.pdf?expires=1693541947&amp;id=id&amp;accname=ocid177499&amp;checksum=D0C5BDAC49951DF353618B8E38483253">refers to</a> unsolicited electronic messages. These are often sent in bulk and frequently advertise goods or services. It also includes scamming and phishing messages, according to the OECD.</p> <p>Most people think of spam in the form of emails or SMS messages. However, what we now call spam actually predates the internet. In 1854, a spam telegram was sent to British politicians advertising the opening hours of dentists who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/09/why-spammers-are-winning-junk-mail">sold tooth-whitening powder</a>.</p> <p>The first spam email came more than 100 years later. It was reportedly sent to 600 people on May 3 1978 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080628205216/http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-spam11may11001420,1,5168218,full.story">through ARPAnet</a> – a precursor to the modern internet.</p> <p>As for how much spam is out there, the figures vary, possibly due to the various <a href="https://www.spamhaus.org/consumer/definition/">definitions of “spam”</a>. One source reports the average number of spam emails sent daily in 2022 was about <a href="https://dataprot.net/statistics/spam-statistics/">122.33 billion</a> (which would mean more than half of all emails were spam). As for text messages, another source reports a daily average of 1.6 billion <a href="https://thesmallbusinessblog.net/spam-text-statistics/">spam texts</a>.</p> <h2>Where do spammers get my details?</h2> <p>Each time you enter your email address or phone number into an e-commerce website, you may be handing it to spammers.</p> <p>But sometimes you may even receive spam from entities you don’t recognise. That’s because businesses will often transfer customers’ contact information to related companies, or sell their data to third parties such as data brokers.</p> <p>Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 somewhat limits the transfer of personal information to third parties. However, these laws <a href="https://theconversation.com/accc-says-consumers-need-more-choices-about-what-online-marketplaces-are-doing-with-their-data-182134">are weak</a> – and <a href="http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/unsworks_75600">weakly enforced</a>.</p> <p>Some entities also use “address-harvesting” software to search the internet for electronic addresses that are captured in a database. The collector then uses these addresses directly, or sells them to others looking to send spam.</p> <p>Many jurisdictions (including <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/s19.html">Australia</a>) prohibit these harvesting activities, but they are still <a href="https://www.projecthoneypot.org/statistics.php">common</a>.</p> <h2>Is spamming against the law?</h2> <p>Australia has had legislation regulating spam messaging since 2003. But the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00614">Spam Act</a> surprisingly does not define the word “spam”. It tackles spam by prohibiting the sending of <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/s15.html">unsolicited commercial electronic messages</a> containing offers, ads or other promotions of goods, services or land.</p> <p>However, if the receiver <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/sch2.html">consented</a> to these types of messages, the prohibition does not apply. When you buy goods or services from a company, you will often see a request to click on a “yes” button to receive marketing promotions. Doing so means you have consented.</p> <p>On the other hand, if your phone or inbox are hit by commercial messages you haven’t agreed to receive, that is a breach of the <a href="https://austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/">Spam Act</a> by the sender. If you originally signed up to receive the messages, but then unsubscribed and the messages kept coming after <a href="https://austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/sch2.html">five business days</a>, that is also illegal. Senders must also include a <a href="https://austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/s18.html">functioning unsubscribe facility</a> in every commercial message they send.</p> <p>Spammers can be penalised for breaches of the Spam Act. In the past few months alone, <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2023-06/commonwealth-bank-penalised-355-million-spam-breaches">Commonwealth Bank</a>, <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2023-08/doordash-penalised-2-million-spam-breaches">DoorDash</a> and <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2023-06/mycar-tyre-auto-penalised-1m-spam-breaches">mycar Tyre &amp; Auto</a> were fined more than A$6 million in total for breaches.</p> <p>However, most spam comes from outside Australia where the laws aren’t the same. In the United States spam is legal under the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business">CAN-SPAM Act</a> until you opt out. Unsurprisingly, the US <a href="https://talosintelligence.com/reputation_center/email_rep#spam-country-senders">tops the list</a> of countries where the most spam originates.</p> <p>Although spam sent to Australia from overseas <a href="https://austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/s16.html">can still breach</a> the Spam Act – and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) co-operates with overseas regulators – overseas enforcement actions are difficult and expensive, especially if the spammer has disguised their true identity and location.</p> <p>It’s worth noting that messages from political parties, registered charities and government bodies aren’t prohibited – nor are messages from educational institutions to students and former students. So while you might consider these messages as “spam”, they can legally be <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/sch1.html">sent freely without consent</a>. Factual messages (without marketing content) from businesses are also legal as long as they include accurate sender details and contact information.</p> <p>Moreover, the Spam Act generally only covers spam sent via email, SMS/MMS or instant messaging services, such as WhatsApp. Voice calls and faxes aren’t covered (although you can use the <a href="https://www.donotcall.gov.au/">Do Not Call Register</a> to block some commercial calls).</p> <h2>Staying safe from spam (and cyberattacks)</h2> <p>Spam isn’t only annoying, it can also be dangerous. Spam messages can contain indecent images, scams and <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/learn-basics/explore-basics/watch-out-threats/phishing-emails-and-texts">phishing attempts</a>. Some have <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/threats/types-threats/malware">malware</a> (malicious software) designed to break into computer networks and cause harm, such as by stealing data or money, or shutting down systems.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself/securing-your-email/email-security/protect-yourself-malicious-email">Australian Cyber Security Centre</a> and <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/dealing-with-spam">ACMA</a> provide useful tips for reducing the spam you get and your risk of being hit by cyberattacks. They suggest to:</p> <ol> <li> <p>use a spam filter and block spammers – email and telecommunications providers often supply useful tools as part of their services</p> </li> <li> <p>unsubscribe from any emails you no longer want to receive – even if you originally agreed to receive them</p> </li> <li> <p>remove as much of your contact details from websites as you can and always restrict the sharing of your personal information (such as name, birth date, email address and mobile number) when you can – beware of pre-ticked boxes asking for your consent to receive marketing emails</p> </li> <li> <p>install cybersecurity updates for your devices and software as you get them</p> </li> <li> <p>always think twice about opening emails or clicking on links, especially for messages promising rewards or asking for personal information – if it looks too good to be true, it probably is</p> </li> <li> <p>use <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-multi-factor-authentication-and-how-should-i-be-using-it-191591">multi-factor authentication</a> to access online services so even if a scam compromises your login details, it will still be difficult for hackers to break into your accounts</p> </li> <li> <p>report spam to your email and telecommunications providers, and to <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/dealing-with-spam#complain-or-forward-spam-to-the-acma">ACMA</a>. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208665/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> </li> </ol> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kayleen-manwaring-8735"><em>Kayleen Manwaring</em></a><em>, Senior Research Fellow, UNSW Allens Hub for Technology, Law &amp; Innovation and Senior Lecturer, School of Private &amp; Commercial Law, UNSW Law &amp; Justice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-get-so-much-spam-and-unwanted-email-in-my-inbox-and-how-can-i-get-rid-of-it-208665">original article</a>.</em></p>

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5 ways to deal with spam emails

<p><em><strong>Lisa Du is director of <a href="http://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ReadyTechGo</span></a>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology.</strong></em></p> <p>Nobody likes getting spam email. It clutters up your inbox, tests your patience, and sometimes even has the audacity to scam you into giving up your private details!</p> <p>So, once you’ve recognised that there are indeed scam and spam emails littering your inbox, what can you do to deal with them? Here are five helpful tips on how to deal with and avoid spam email.</p> <p><strong>1. Use a spam filter</strong></p> <p>Most email platforms will give you the option to mark any email as spam. Doing this will redirect any future emails that you receive from that email address straight to your Spam or Junk folder, keeping your inbox squeaky clean. It will also prevent any emails that possess the same properties (for example what the email is about, its language, how many other people are receiving it, etc.) from reaching your inbox. Whenever you’re certain that you don’t wish to see emails like this in your inbox anymore, mark it as spam.</p> <p>To do this, open up the spam email, and look for the option to mark it as spam or junk.</p> <p>For instance, on Gmail, you’ll see a series of icons along the top of the email. Click on the exclamation mark icon. This will “Report spam”.</p> <p>As another example, for Outlook users, you’ll see an icon that says “Junk” along the top of the email. Clicking on this icon will mark the email as junk.</p> <p><img width="500" height="93" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/27148/in-text-one_500x93.jpg" alt="In -text -one" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Make sure that the email is truly spam before reporting it as such. If you mistakenly mark an important or relevant email as spam, any future important or relevant emails that you may receive from that email address will end up in your spam folder, and you might miss them.</p> <p><strong>2. Create a junk email address</strong></p> <p>This may seem like a lot of extra effort, but it’ll save you from oodles of inconvenience in the future. Create another email account, whose only purpose is to cop the spam!</p> <p>What this means is that every time you’re required to sign up for something, such as an online account required to use a particular website, you don’t have to use your main email address; you can use your junk one instead. This way, any potential spam that you may receive from that website will be sent to the junk email address. Your main inbox will remain spam-free, and you can still use the website!</p> <p>Remember, only sign up for an online account using your junk email address when you’re sure that you won’t be interested in receiving emails from the host. You don’t want to miss out on anything potentially important or helpful.</p> <p><strong>3. Be cautious before you click unsubscribe</strong></p> <p>For most legitimate senders, there will be a link to “Unsubscribe” from future emails. Clicking on this will prevent you from ever receiving any emails from this address again in the future.</p> <p><img width="415" height="152" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/27147/in-text-two.jpg" alt="In -text -two" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>However, though this is often the first course of action that most people take in response to spam, many forget to exercise caution in clicking on links from suspicious emails. Oftentimes, scam emails will be riddled with links, which you should absolutely NOT click on! These links can lead you to malicious pages that inflict your computer with viruses.</p> <p>Naturally, many scammers will mask these links behind an “Unsubscribe” button. If you suspect that an email may be a scam, do NOT click on any links within the body of the email, including “Unsubscribe”. Mark the email as spam, and move on!</p> <p><strong>4. Do not reply to the email</strong></p> <p>It may seem tempting to fire back to an annoying spam email with a snarky retort, but avoid doing this at all costs to your pride! Responding to a spammer will only let them know that your email address is active. This will spur them to keep spamming you incessantly.</p> <p>You don’t want that!</p> <p><strong>5. Never follow instructions or open attachments</strong></p> <p>Scammers will employ several different ways to scam you in a single email. Not only should you avoid clicking on links, but you should also avoid following any instructions (for example, instructions to unsubscribe) or, importantly, opening any attachments. Clicking on these attachments is the easiest way to download a malicious virus onto your computer.</p> <p>In the digital age, there are all sorts of creative means to fool innocent people online. Make sure that you stay ever-vigilant when it comes to email - approach every suspicious email with scepticism.</p> <p>Can you see yourself using those tips?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>For more information about ReadyTechGo, visit their <a href="http://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">website here</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/08/how-to-make-your-computer-healthier-in-five-minutes/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How to make your computer healthier in five minutes</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/06/how-to-compress-large-files-to-send-over-email/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>How to compress large files to send over email</strong></span></em></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/05/hints-for-using-gmail/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">5 hints for using Gmail</span></em></strong></a></p>

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