Watch this video to see how to set up an email account
There are 3 stages to sending and receiving an email:
- Sending: When you write an email and hit the “send” button, it travels along a set of wires to reach the email post office known as the mail transfer agent. The email you have sent includes your address as well as the address you are sending it to.
- Cyber Sorting Office: Just like at the post office, the mail transfer agent in the cyber sorting office looks at the email address, decides where its going and puts a header on it. However, whereas a post office only does this once, an email can go through lots of different mail transfer agents where it is given lots of headers.
- Receiving: Once the email has reached the computer of the person you send it to, because of the headers the mail transfer agent has stamped on it, could find out whose computer it has come from.
What is Spam?
Spam is officially known as Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE). Receiving Spam is a bit like getting junk mail in the post. Spammers (the people who send Spam) try and find lots of people’s email addresses without their permission so they can send a message to a large number of people at any one time.
Spammers usually send messages to make money! Getting lots of junk email is a nuisance, you may not want to receive it and it may even contain viruses which can damage your computer. Even replying to Spam, allows Spammers to make more money as it shows your email address is working and they can put together lists of email addresses to sell to other Spammers.
Look out for the following when you get a Spam email:
- Advertisements: Spammers will often try to sell you goods like CDs / Games or services like DVD rental. Watch out though – goods can be stolen, damaged or you may not even get them at all!
- Harmful Content: Spam can be used to say or send things which you wouldn’t want to see or read like horrible comments or nasty pictures of people.
- Scams: Spammers can pretend that you have won a prize, or ask you to help somebody to trick you into sending them money.
- Viruses or Spyware: Spam email can contain attachments or links which when you open them, download viruses to your computer which can damage it.
- Phishing: Sometimes Spammers try and fool you into thinking the email has come from your bank or internet accounts so they can steal your personal details and either take money or buy things without your permission.
How do Spammers get hold of my email?
There are various ways Spammers can get hold of your email address. One way is to use a Dictionary attack where spammers use popular names together with different numbers with well known domain or ISP addresses to guess emails such as joebloggs@yahoo.com; jbloggs@yahoo.com; until they find addresses which work.
Other ways include using software and programmes such as Harvesting, Webspiders, Crawlers and Netbots which search through the web looking for emails and making lists of them. Spam emails can also contain attachments or links to a URL which can misdirect you to programmes to gather your email address. Spammers may also sell the address lists which they have compiled to others as a further way of making money.
How can I recognise Spam and Phishing emails?
- If you do not recognise the sender or company, or you have not signed up to the service, do not open the email.
- Always scan emails and attachments for viruses by installing virus checking software.
- Building societies and Banks in the UK however do not ask for verification of account details, log in details or passwords via email or a web link.
- Always check the policy of any company asking you for personal information or details. Never use the contact details provided in an email if in doubt, instead search for them using a phone directory service or web browser to search for the address and contact the company directly to check.
- Spammers often use various tricks to make their emails look they have come from a real company, so watch out! Logos can be “hijacked” or copied from a company and Spammers sometimes disguise email addresses to look like the real thing. Here are some clues to look for:
- Some Spammers try to avoid being picked up by junk mail filters which look for key words by using symbols and numbers in the header and email e.g. new software could be /N//e/w/s/o/f/t/w/a/r/e.
- Does the email address you directly by your first and surnames? Spammers often use terms such as “Dear customer/ valued customer/ existing customer” etc.
- Look for misspelled words, mistaken capitalisation and incorrect logos in communications which are unlikely in professional companies.
- Check what happens when you click on “Reply” to sender. Check the “To:” line, with a phishing message, the address may differ to the one which the email was sent and direct you to a personal email address rather than that of a company
How do I prevent Email Spam?
- Avoid giving out your email address online as this will make it easier for Spammers to find your address and use it!
- Before you sign up for a service (i.e. download ringtones or screen savers) or enter a competition always read the Terms and Conditions and any Privacy policies . Some companies may share your details with “third parties” or other companies and will ask you to tick a box to say it is ok for them to do this. If you do not want to receive mail from them, do not tick it!
- Make it difficult for Spammers to guess your email by using combination of letters, words and numbers instead of your name which you can easily remember your name and instead use a but that a Spammer would find
Reporting Spam
You can report spam to your Internet Service Provider. If you get a message which you think might contain something illegal, you can contact the Internet Watch Foundation Hotline and report it.
