What Are Spam Messages?
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Reading Time: 5 min
Spam messages are unsolicited or unwanted messages that are sent in bulk through various communication channels such as email, text messages, social media, and instant messaging platforms. These messages are typically sent by individuals or organizations to a large number of recipients who have not given their consent to receive them.
Spam messages can take many forms, including advertisements for products or services, phishing scams, fraudulent offers, and malware-containing attachments. They are often sent with the intention of tricking recipients into clicking on a link, providing personal information, or downloading malicious software.
Key Takeaways
- Spam messages are unsolicited communications that can result in phishing and other fraudulent activities.
- Email authentication methods such as DKIM and SPF are vital for verifying the legitimacy of the sender.
- Avoiding clicking on suspicious links can help protect personal information from malware and phishing scams.
- Using spam filters improves the identification of unwanted messages over time.
- Keeping software up-to-date is essential for preventing exploitation of security vulnerabilities by spammers and attackers.
What Are Spam Texts?
Unsolicited commercial email, or “spam,” is a term for this type of communication. Spam SMS rarely originates from another phone. These communications typically start on a computer and are then forwarded to your phone via email or IM.
Scammers can easily and cheaply transmit these messages via the internet. As a numbers game, spamming is about reaching as many people as possible with as few responses.
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Types of Spam Messages
Spam messages come in different forms. Some common types of spam messages include:
- Phishing Scams: Fake emails or websites that trick users into revealing their personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
- Nigerian Prince Scams: Promise large sums of money in exchange for a small initial investment or personal information. The name “Nigerian Prince” originated from early email scams in Nigeria.
- Lottery/Prize Scams: Inform the recipient that they have won a large sum of money or a valuable prize, but require a fee to claim it.
- Health and Supplement Scams: Promote miracle cures or dietary supplements that are often ineffective and may be harmful.
- Investment Scams: Promise high returns on investment with little or no risk, but in reality, they are just a way to steal money from unsuspecting victims.
- Work-from-Home Scams: Offer jobs that can be done from home, but require payment for training materials or background checks.
- Fake Charities: Pretend to be legitimate charities and ask for donations, but the money goes to the scammer instead of the intended cause.
- Debt Reduction Scams: Promise to help lower or eliminate debt, but they take the victim’s money without help.
- Tech Support Scams: Pretend to be from a well-known technology company and claim a problem with the recipient’s computer needs immediate attention.
- Email Chain Letters: Emails that ask the recipient forwarded to a certain number of people to receive good luck or money. They often include false promises and could be a better use of time.
How to Minimize Spam Messages With Email Authentication?
Email authentication is a security measure that helps you verify the sender of an email message. It ensures that a legitimate source sends the message.
On January 16, 2023, the United States was responsible for almost eight billion of the world’s ten billion spam emails. The Czech Republic and the Netherlands followed closely behind, coming in at number two and three, with 7.7 and 7.6 billion. ~Statista
There are several types of email authentication, including DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), Sender Policy Framework (SPF), Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC), and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM).
The two most popular methods are DKIM and SPF. These two methods work together to prevent spammers from abusing your domain.
- DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) verifies that a legitimate source sent an email message. It uses public key cryptography and cryptographic signatures to ensure that an email has not been tampered with during transit or in the storage on the recipient’s server.
- Sender Policy Framework (SPF) relies on digital signatures for email transmission, indicating whether or not the sending server had access to the original message before it was sent outbound from their system.
How to Prevent Spam Messages?
Spam messages are a nuisance, but it’s also an industry. Spammers spend a lot of time, money, and effort on their craft. They’re constantly evolving tactics to fool you into clicking on their links or handing over your personal information.
You can, however, protect yourself from spam messages. And if you’re careful, it could save you money.
Here are five ways to prevent spam messages:
Use Spam Filters
Many email services offer spam filters that will scan your incoming messages and attempt to identify which ones are junk mail and which are legitimate. The more often you receive spam and mark it as such, the better these filters will become at identifying it in the future.
Related Read: Do you need DMARC if you use a spam filter?
Be Careful with Email Addresses
Don’t give out your email address on websites or applications unless you trust them. Some companies use this information to send out promotional emails without your permission. If someone asks for your email address, ask why they need it before giving it out, just in case their intentions aren’t honorable.
Avoid Clicking on Suspicious Links
Many spam messages contain links that lead to websites that host malware or other viruses. If you see an email with an unknown sender that contains a link, do not click on it — even if it looks legitimate. Instead, delete the message without opening it or clicking on the phishing link and report it as junk mail.
Keep Personal Information Private
Avoid sharing sensitive data like birthdays or social security numbers in communication unless necessary (like when making purchases online). Don’t include this information in attachments or subject lines of emails because spammers could use it for identity theft.
Be Cautious With Free Trials
Many websites send out free trials to get users hooked on their service. But these trials may come with hidden costs, such as additional fees for data usage or even automatic monthly subscriptions that continue after the trial ends unless they’re canceled before the trial period ends.
Keep Software Up-to-Date
If you have software that needs updating — like Windows updates or new versions of your browser — make sure those updates happen automatically without prompting you every time they become available. This way, hackers won’t be able to take advantage of vulnerabilities in older versions of those applications that could allow them access to your computer or personal information contained therein (such as passwords or credit card numbers).
Domain & Email Security Expert at PowerDMARC
Ahona is the Marketing Manager at PowerDMARC, with 5+ years of experience in writing about cybersecurity topics, specializing in domain and email security. Ahona holds a post-graduation degree in Journalism and Communications, solidifying her career in the security sector since 2019.
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