Spot the diffference---- Spam and Phishing Scams.

With our email inboxes overflowing , and countless emails that waste our time in one way or another , the supposed convenience of email is under threat . Whether the messages are attempt to sell us something ,or worst attempts to steal from us , there is no doubt that we would rather not have to wade  through them to find legitimate messages.                                                                                                          

what is spam ??

Spam email also known as junk email , is generally unsolicited bulk email which is trying to sell you something . It is estimated that that almost 80% of all the mail sent is spam . That depressing statistic shows you just how much wastage spam creates.

What is phishing ?? 

Phishing scams are generally an attempt to get you to hand over sensitive personal details. They often appear as emails or messages from a legitimate company and request that you send personal details in reply or click a link in an email to be taken to a website where you will be asked for login details . These website fronts are false , although they may look like the real thing , and if you input your details then the scammers can use them to rob you.  

How did they get my email address ?? 

Spammers harvest email addresses from various sources . They pinch them from websites , forums , social media websites  and unscrupulous marketers . Sometimes your email address is sold as part of a list by an organisation , sometimes it is stolen by someone hacking into a server . There is little you can do to to prevent spammers from getting hold of your email address . Phishing scammers get your email addresses in exactly the same way.

Guarding against spam or phishing ??

 It is a good idea to have a spam filter on your email inbox which will automatically identify spam and prevent it from being sent on to you. You do need to be careful though because spam filters are not perfect and it is possible that a legitimate message will be marked as spam . It is worth reviewing your spam filtered emails occasionally  (dont open them just check the subject line ) so you can spot any real messages which have been flagged.

With phishing you should use a phishing filter on your internet browser which will inform you if you visit a false website .