Definition of Spam
A message received by email is classified as “spam” if:
1. It is sent in bulk and automatically, without regard to the identity or context of the recipient. If a neighbor finds out you want to buy a car and sends you a message offering one, it is not considered spam.
2. The recipient has not clearly requested or verified their consent to receive the message. This includes, for example, checking a visible checkbox on a web form that clearly explains the nature of the messages being sent. A prefix indicating how to stop receiving further messages, which can often be misleading, does not offer protection.
3. The transmission and reception of a message gives the sender an unfair advantage. The recipient uses their resources—bandwidth and computer—much like the sender uses theirs to send messages to thousands of mailboxes. This creates a communication that mainly benefits the sender. Usually, this is seen in advertising campaigns at a low cost, but if the messages promote a cause the sender supports, they may also be categorized as spam.
Why is there so much spam sent?
It’s a business. Many of these messages are deceptive ads for miracle products, fraudulent offers like pirated software, or low-quality items that aren’t profitable through traditional advertising. Most people see them for what they are, and while the response rate is very low (less than 15 per million), their minimal costs allow for profits. Numerous individuals and companies back this practice, and there’s plenty of information available online about spamming.
Despite technical efforts to complicate their tasks, spammers—individuals or organizations sending spam—remain active and are employing a variety of techniques and tricks developed in recent years to keep delivering their emails.
These include:
- Using a different address for each email and then abandoning or deleting it.
- Forging email headers to make it difficult to trace the origin.
- Infiltrating legitimate email servers (crashing them) and using them as a source for sending emails.
- Using Trojans, such as the Mitglieder family, which install SMTP relays on the infected PC and can be used to forward spam.
- Phrasing messages (e.g., changing letters to numbers, or randomly inserting spaces and periods) to fool word filters.
How to fight spam?
Prevention, like many other issues, is better than cure. The basic tips are:
* Use at least two email addresses or aliases: one for important contacts and another for websites or mailing lists. This way, if you start receiving excess spam, you can easily discard that address.
* Keep your email address off websites to prevent easy capture, especially if “mailto:” links are included.
* Avoid participating in chain messages, like hoaxes, sent to many recipients. Encourage your contacts to use the “BCC” (Blind Carbon Copy) field or mailing lists instead.
* Never reply to spam unless you’re sure it comes from a reputable source. The sender’s address is often fake, and replying may reach an unrelated party. Instructions to stop similar messages are usually false and confirm to the spammer that your account is active, resulting in more spam. Additionally, avoid purchasing products advertised through spam to not support these practices.
* Report spam to the relevant authorities and engage in blacklisting. You can also email postmaster accounts or report abuse to the email servers that handled the message, although only the last server (registered by our email server) is reliable. This information is found in the message headers.
* Use of anti-spam filters. Many programs have been created to employ different techniques for distinguishing spam from unwanted email. While these are temporary solutions that don’t tackle the core issue directly, they do help users save time by eliminating the need for manual sorting.