What do the experts say about it?
US Federal Trade Commission - "Spam: Commercial e-mails, generally
advertising products or services available to buy online, sent to a large number
of recipients without their consent. Phishing: Internet fraudsters who send spam
or pop-up messages to lure personal information from unsuspecting victims."
How does it get there in the first place?
If you've got an e-mail account, you're going to get spam, it's just the way it
works. It may not be fair, it may not be pleasant (what 15-year-old wants to know
about sex-drive pills?) but it looks to be here to stay.
Phishing is a little more serious though, as it can lead to crimes like identity
fraud, or at the very least money laundering.
But how does this affect me?
Sure, we're probably not going to be buying Viagra any time soon, and it's usually
blatantly obvious they're not sent from a friend of yours, but you don't want to
be bombarded with ads for porn in your e-mail.
Spam e-mails can even contain attachments with
trojans and viruses. As for phishing attacks, we're talking about organised crime here - this isn't some
guy searching for a quick buck. That certainly affects you personally.
You can see an example of phishing by clicking on the image to the right - the e-mail looks as if it is a genuine notice from eBay asking you to update your information, but this is just a professional looking front to an operation designed to steal your bank details. Don't let them trick you.
Get it Sorted
Spam's both annoying and potentially very serious when combined with phishing -
get advice by clicking below and stay safe.
Find out more
For further reading on spam and phishing attacks, take a look at the following sites: