What should you do with spam email

While it might be tempting to reply to a spam email with an angry tirade or even a request to permanently remove you from their contacts, this never works out.

In fact, it could even lead to your account receiving even more spam as the sender will then know that your account is active. It may seem obvious, but if a message seems like spam, it likely is. Don't be tempted to purchase anything from one or click on any links contained within the message, even if it seems to offer a way to unsubscribe to the mailing list.

If you find that the number of spam mail messages is getting out of control and following the above steps hasn't helped, it may be time to consider getting a new email address. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.

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By Abby Hepworth Nov. Check the subject line Anything that sounds overly aggressive or threatening, advertises medications not yet approved by the FDA, promises compromising photos of famous names or purports to have incriminating evidence against you is almost definitely spam.

Pay attention to grammar and spelling Look for weird phrasing, words being misused or broken sentences. Confirm the information independently Not sure whether that Chase email about suspicious activity on your account is legit or not?

It is also quite common for such emails to be sent from forged addresses - the message may not have been anywhere near the site from which it appears to have originated. Another type of spam is called 'phishing email', where you may be asked to provide various items of personal or account information. You must never respond to such emails. This is discussed fully in FAQ Individuals may from time to time forge message headers in order to suggest that the message originated with service providers such as Hotmail.

In addition, these individuals may use similar fake reply-to accounts, "remove me" accounts, and other types of drop boxes either in the headers or in the body of messages, on web-pages, in web-forms or in postings such as newsgroups. You may sometimes find that the spammer has added your e-mail address or account name, perhaps with another domain name, into the header to try and make it appear more authentic.

To help you identify a forged header in Hotmail messages, note that Hotmail e-mail addresses which begin with numbers or which have additional information in the domain name hotmail. In addition, if the message has been sent from a valid Hotmail account, the expanded header will include a line that begins: X-originating-IP:. If you see a posting on a newsgroup with a Hotmail address, it is most likely based on a forged account. Hotmail members cannot post directly to newsgroups but must go through an independent news-posting service or use another e-mail program.