Spam: recognise and avoid it
For several years now one of the greatest threats faced by web users has been spam: unsolicited email messages usually for marketing purposes, sent out in mass mailings designed to reach as many people as possible.
The real problem is linked above all to phishing emails, which (in many cases) are sent from apparently trusted addresses, but which are in fact aimed at perpetrating bona fide digital fraud.
How can we protect ourselves against all this? Here are the main examples of dangerous spam and some solutions to help you avoid falling into the trap.
1 – Un-related links
If the message contains an un-related link it is highly likely to be a scam attempt. In order to ascertain if this is the case, all you have to do is move the mouse over the link, so you can check where it leads to.
2- Domain name does not correspond
Although the perpetrator of a scam will often redirect you to pages which are identical to those of a trusted site, it is essential to check that the domain name of these pages is actually correct (in many cases a few letters will be different, but there could also be some differences which you may not notice immediately).
3 –Text containing errors
Considering that trusted emails do not usually contain any errors, it is very likely that a message with grammatical errors is a fraudulent one, because in the case of phishing, the criminals are often of different nationalities and they use automatic translation programs, leading to incorrect content.
4 – Sensitive data requests
When sensitive data or confirmation of transactions is requested in an email message, you should always be sceptical (home banking sites may occasionally ask you to change password, but certainly would not ask you to input sensitive data).
5 – Inclusion of amazing offers
Fraudulent spam often contains amazing offers which should make you sceptical due to their very nature. When an email promises incredible prizes or such like, it is almost certain to be fraudulent.
6 – Competition or lottery wins
Winning a competition or lottery which you did not enter is definitely a by-word for a scam. You should always be highly sceptical of all emails which promise money, holidays, vouchers or similar gifts.
7 – Requests for money
If companies or individuals ask for money via email, even for apparently convincing reasons, you must immediately delete the email, because it is sure to be a trap for the purpose of illicit gains.
8 – Emails from false state organisations
The arrival of a message from an organisation such as the Inland Revenue etc. should always be scrutinised with great care, considering that most of their important correspondence is certainly not sent out by email.
Following this brief overview of the main examples of fraudulent spam, we will now explore how to put into practice some defensive measures that will guarantee greater peace of mind.
The first thing to do is not to give out your email address unless absolutely necessary. Furthermore, it is best not to use it on secondary or not completely trusted sites (it is advisable to create a second address for use on such sites).
It is also a good idea to activate all the anti-spam filters provided by your operating systems as an extra protective measure. Considering that you can choose the level of protection, if you feel vulnerable, you should select medium to high restrictions in order to eliminate all the threats encountered.
These are the main examples of spam present on the web and the ways you can reduce the risks, thereby lowering the probability of becoming a victim of digital fraudsters.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
