3.2 Email scams, spam and phishing

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Sending and receiving emails keeps us in touch with friends, relatives, employers, companies and organisations. However, emails may also be used to deliver unwanted material that can potentially cause you and your computer considerable harm. These are sometimes called spam or junk emails.

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A pile of triangular ‘Spam’ warning signs.

Spamming is the sending of unsolicited messages. These messages may contain advertising, harmful or suspicious content. Some spam emails may have a link or file attached for you to click on or open. Opening these links or downloading the files may damage your computer.

If you see an email that doesn’t look right to you, do not open any links or attached documents, and never reply with your personal information. Delete the email and report it as spam so your email provider will know not to let it through to your inbox. If the email claims to be from an organisation, you could contact them through their official website and ask them if it’s genuine.

Scammers can send bogus emails in the hope that people will enter their personal details. They may direct you to a fake website, trick you into thinking you’ve won a prize or pretend to be someone you may know who needs money.