I created a gmail account and logged on and there were 125 emails in the spam folder, I just created it a couple of days ago where did these spamers get the email from??
It just happens, and there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it once it starts. Trying to 'unsubscribe' from bogus messages just makes it worse, and more and more spammers pile it on. I still use one of David's email accounts, due to a couple of direct payments he set up, and it gets some truly appalling spam. My own account from that same era is spam-free, even though it's 'linked' to his. But a fresh new account I set up not long ago immediately started to fill up with the same sort of junk. Nothing to do but direct it all to the spam folder, and leave it there to die in the dark!
There are a few anti-malware programs out there for Windows but to be truthful, I haven’t used Microsoft for years. @Beth Gallagher and a few others might know of a specific program you can load to help with that. For myself as an Apple user, when I’m product shopping for anything specific and do not wish to be tracked, I just turn off Cookies for a spell. Now, that doesn’t mean that I do not get spammed but generally it’s my fault. Once I permit nearly any program or company to send me notifications then it seems like everyone else with like interests wants to “talk” to me. When it becomes bothersome, it’s time to start marking things as spam, junk and also unsubscribe from whomever is sending the stuff.
None of the anti-malware programs/apps will have any effect on SPAM emails, whether you're on a Windows machine or an Apple device. Spammers have programs that generate millions of email addresses that they "broadcast" to; they have no idea whether the email addys are genuine or not until some unsuspecting recipient opens them. The best defense is an email provider that effectively filters out SPAM and DON'T be tempted to open that folder or its contents. Never, ever click on a link in a suspect email. If you aren't sure about the origin of the email, hover your mouse over the "from" field and you will see the actual sender. It may say "Amazon" but the actual address is something like ERIC392939@_dumbwad.net .
Unsubscribe does not work they ignore it, I created this email account just for the purpose of trying to snooker spamers seems they latch on and trade email accounts with each other, most of the email spam is ridiculous I don't see how anyone would fall for them and click on them but I guess if one sends out a thousand emails and gets 100 reply's they are not doing so bad statistically reminds me of those Don Lupre info commercials and his tiny one bedroom apartment.
I totally agree with Beth about the spammers. My Apple email seems to filter them out really well, but on my yahoo backup email, I sometimes get the spam email. At first, I was trying to do the unsubscribe thing, but they often ask you to actually put in your email to unsubscribe, so then I know for sure that they would have the email. Plus, you can’t unsubscribe unless you actually open the email. Now, I do the same thing as Beth does, I simply mark it as spam and never open it, and yahoo blocks the spam sender.
I ditched Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo a long time ago. I have my primary Apple account which I only use for family and friends plus a free account with Protonmail who are based in Switzerland for almost everything else. Never had any problems with spam on either of them. Having said that……………..
I've had Yahoo mail for a long time now and have not had a spam problem. I recently discovered Proton mail too and have an account with them. They have strict privacy laws in Switzerland and they don't show images in your mail until you allow, so they seem secure.
Unsubscribe lets them know that yours is an active account. I would think they get more for those when they sell them. I bought a cloud laptop and never set up an account although I am warned every time I open it that I won't be able to save my history/bookmarks or cookies...Which is why I don't want to have an account. Somebody does get my browsing history, though, by the ads that show up when I go to look at the weather or other general sites. But with regard to email, I wonder about walmart or other places that require contact info for delivery. I get notices of prizes I have won etc from Walmart, UPS, USPS...lately. But when I check the sender, they ARE from dumbwad in other countries sometimes. A while back I was getting an email bomb and all contained the server's info in the addy. Like Roseanne, Roseanna Danna said, It's always something.
I have a Yahoo account I've had for 20+ years and don't get all that much spam, and it's the only account I've really used. I just looked at the Spam folder...maybe 12 emails per day go in there. And those are not all Spam. Some come from legitimate sources that send out mass emails that Yahoo evaluates as Spam (even though I have them set up as a Contact.) My GMail account is the same. It got created by Verizon as a place to back up my phone contacts. I never use it. There is hardly any Spam in there. I can't understand how one might get 50 per day, much less on an account that is not used. Maybe GMail has started handing out newly created email accounts in order to generate revenue. I just read a trick to see who is handing out your email address. Instead of inputting your email address as normal, add a plus symbol (+) as well as some kind of unique identifier after your name — but before the @ symbol. Which would turn this email (johndoe@gmail.com) into something like: johndoe+[name of company]@gmail.com GMail ignores anything after the (+) symbol, so you still receive the email. So if you set up your email address in your Amazon account as johndoe+Amazon@gmail.com, any Spam you get with that address was from Amazon handing out your email address. You can do this with every source you give your email address to (inserting their name after the plus), provided you remember to do it.
I do know this .. factual for me at least- giving out emails to any retail place or someone other than your lawyer, doctor etc creates more spam. For the longest time I used email just for giving out to others - spam galore, while the other acct remained free of spam .Clicking on any Sponsored Ads will also create spam- they get your email at random like robo calling in some area. Either way it stinks.
I hid my SPAM folder and never even look at it. As long as the crap is being filtered from my inbox I couldn't care less what's in there.
It may be worth considering that spam and junk mail might be taking up valuable storage space in your mail account. Moving spam, junk and old e-mails regularly to the trashcan is a good idea, but don’t forget to empty the trashcan too!