Risks by e-Mails

One of the common risk through e-mails is SPAM

Spam is usually unwanted e-mail advertising about a product sent to list of e-mails or group of e-mail addresses. Generally spamming companies send e-mails to thousands of email addresses every day without confirming whether e-mail addresses are real or not .When ever you open a spam mail it alerts the spammer at the other end and confirms that email address is real and is active. This will continue to spam and sometimes directory of such email addresses are sold to other companies. 

Spam can be received by following ways :

By publishing your e-mail address on web

Generally, spammers collect your email address on the web which is posted or published by you in order to receive any software or any PDF to your email address. Spammers search for such email addresses on the web and it is easy to be spammed.

  So always use the separate e-mail address which doesn’t reveal the real name. 

By using software

Spammer uses software that creates thousands of email addresses and there is chance that yours is one of them so every time an e-mail is opened, it will add to the list and alerts them that e-mail is active. So spammers continuously send the e-mails to your e-mail ID. 

So always ignore or delete the spam mails. 

Spammers buy e-mail addresses

Every time you open spam email, your e-mail ID is added to the list and let the spammer know that your email is active. This list may be sold to the other companies and that company to another and this process never ends.  

By Spyware

Whenever you download any adware or software from web, there are chances for spyware to enter your system. Generally, spywares are hidden in downloads and enters into your computer and when ever you open emails it passes your information like your personal details, Inbox details  and may be passwords to the spammers.

So always  scan web links or documents before you download from web. 

By opening attachments sent by known user names

Due to spyware on your computer, spammers collect the information like list of email addresses or user names from the buddy list or from an inbox and try to fool you by sending the emails attachments with known user names. So whenever you download such a type of attachments spammers will get alerts that your email ID is active and your email ID is sold to other companies.

So check e-mail addresses before you open or download any attachments from unknown users

How to prevent spam?

Reduce publishing of your email address on web

1. By reducing subscription of your email address on the web you can minimize the spam Mails.
2. By using software’s like spam filters, we can avoid the spam mails getting into the inbox and automatically all the spam mails are blocked and limits the spam mails. 

Ignore spam mails

We can ignore or delete the spam mails without opening them, so that the spammers will never know that your email ID is active. 

Install Software to avoid adware and spyware

Always be cautious when you download adware or any software from the web. Install software like spybot, zone alarm, which detects and stops spyware to get into your computer.

The second risk involved in e-mail is Phishing

Online scammers send you an e-mail and ask your account information or credit card details along with a link to provide your information. Generally, the links sent will be similar to ligitmate websites. So when ever you post your details in the link then the details will be received by scammers and information given by you is misused. 

So always cross check the links before giving your information and confirm with the concern person before giving the account or credit card details. 

How to prevent phishing ?

•  Confirm whether email is received from bank or concern legitimate sites.
• Be cautious while providing bank details  online, before proceeding further confirm with the bank about the email you received. Think that if something is important or urgent why doesn’t  thebank call me instead of sending email? 

The third risk is Fake e-mails

Sometimes you receive an email like “you won a lottery of million dollars” receiving such a kind of mails is a great thing, and really it’s a happiest thing. By responding to such a kind of e-mails huge amount of money will be lost. Because these e-Mails are not true, scammers try to fool and trap you to obtain money.

  So avoid responding to such e-mails.

How to prevent fake e-mails?

• Don’t be trapped by lottery scam
• Don’t get trapped by scammers and e-Mails with a subject line you won some $10000 just think why only you received the email without your participation.