How to Stop Spam (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 13:47

This article shows you how to identify and block spam messages in your inbox. Although unfortunately the email filtering system provided by all email services does not prevent spam from reaching your inbox, it will still be able to distinguish junk email from truly legitimate messages. You can manage spam on desktop and mobile versions of the following email services: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Apple Mail.

Steps

Part 1 of 9: Preventing Spam

Step 1. Check the sender of the emails you receive

In most cases, spam comes from unknown addresses which are often completely made up and therefore appear bizarre. However, this does not mean that all emails you receive from unknown addresses are considered spam. For example, newsletter messages, emails sent by website administrators (relating to access restoration, changing the security password, verifying one's identity, etc.) and other types of messages, although sent from unknown addresses, they are completely legitimate. On the contrary, the emails that belong to the spam category almost always come from invented addresses composed of a combination of numbers, symbols and meaningless letters.

Step 2. Never select links within spam emails

The goal of most of these emails is to convince the end user to select links in emails, so as a general rule (but not always true) only trust links included in messages received from known senders and reliable.

However, if you are unsure of the legitimacy of a link in an email received from a known and reliable source, consider contacting the sender of the message to ask for more information on the nature of the content. In some cases it is possible that your contacts address book has been compromised by a malware or a virus received through spam

Step 3. Check the content of the emails for correctness

Very often spam messages contain spelling and grammar errors along with nonsense phrases and words. Sometimes you may also notice incorrect use of capitalization, punctuation or inadequate text formatting (improper use of bold, italics or colors).

Step 4. Read the content of the message

Any emails telling you you've won a sweepstakes you've never entered or offering you money or items for free are never legitimate. All e-mail messages in which you are asked to provide your login credentials to a certain web service (e-mail, bank account, etc.) are always scams, as all official websites are equipped with automatic procedures for verification, modification or restoration of access credentials. These types of requests or those that generally come from strangers should always be ignored.

Many web services and e-mail clients are equipped with a special box where you can preview the message and read part of the content without having to open it

Step 5. Do not provide your e-mail address online

"Robots" (scripts and programs created with the purpose of analyzing websites for email addresses) can easily collect thousands of email addresses in a few moments if they have been made public within a website. Avoid using your official email address to sign up for promotional offers and never include it in comments or posts you post on the web.

Step 6. Try to make your email address undetectable by robots

In case you are forced to publish the email address online try to mask it in a creative way (for example by using the following format "name [at] domain [dot] com" instead of the canonical form "[email protected]"). This way spammers and malicious people will not be able to locate your email address using automated programs.

Step 7. Do not use a username that matches your e-mail address

Unfortunately, the usernames of the different accounts are almost always public, so being able to trace the complete email address is simply a matter of identifying the correct email service and adding it to the username you already have.

For example web services like Yahoo! Chat makes this process extremely simple, as it is very likely that all registered users are using an email address belonging to the following domain @ yahoo.com

Step 8. Never reply to a spam message

Doing so or selecting the "Unsubscribe" (or "Unsubscribe") link in the text of the email will only generate more spam because in this way you will confirm the correctness of your email address. When you receive an unsolicited e-mail message, it is always better to report what happened and delete it using the appropriate tools provided directly by the mail service manager. Read on to find out how to do it based on the email provider you use.

Part 2 of 9: Block Spam Using the Desktop Version of Gmail

Step 1. Log in to the Gmail web interface

Use the internet browser of your choice and the following URL https://www.gmail.com/. If you are already logged into your Gmail account, you will be redirected directly to your inbox.

If you are not logged in yet, you will need to provide your email address and login password

Step 2. Select a spam message

Click the check button on the left of the spam email header to select it.

Step 3. Press the "Report Spam" button

It features a "Stop" traffic sign icon with an exclamation mark inside. It is located above the main pane of the interface where you can see the list of all messages received. A pop-up window will appear.

Step 4. Press the Report Spam button

It is blue in color and is visible at the bottom of the appeared window. In this way the message in question will be deleted from the inbox and moved to the named folder Spam.

If the option was present Unsubscribe and report as spam, select the latter instead of the one indicated.

Step 5. Go to the Spam folder

It is visible within the left sidebar of the Gmail web interface.

To select this option you may need to click the link first Other.

Step 6. Press the Permanently Delete button

It is visible at the top of the page.

Step 7. Press the OK button when prompted

In this way, all spam messages in the "Spam" folder will be permanently deleted.

Part 3 of 9: Block Spam Using the Mobile Version of Gmail

Step 1. Launch the Gmail app

It features a red "M" icon placed on a white envelope. If you are already signed in to your Gmail account, you will be redirected directly to your inbox.

If you are not logged in yet, you will need to provide your email address and login password

Step 2. Select a spam message

Press and hold your finger on the header of the email message you want to report as spam.

Step 3. Press the ⋯ button (on iPhone) or ⋮ (on Android).

It is located in the upper right corner of the screen. A small drop-down menu will appear.

Step 4. Choose the Report Spam option

It is one of the items in the menu that appeared. This will automatically move the selected E-Mail into the folder Spam.

Step 5. Press the ☰ button

It is located in the upper left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.

Step 6. Choose the Spam option

It is one of the items on the menu.

Step 7. Press the Empty Spam Folder Now button

It is located at the top of the screen.

Step 8. Press the OK button when prompted

In this way, all spam messages in the "Spam" folder will be permanently deleted.

Part 4 of 9: Block Spam Using the Desktop Version of Outlook

Step 1. Log in to the Outlook website

Use the internet browser of your choice and the URL https://www.outlook.com/. If you are already logged into your Outlook account, you will be redirected directly to its inbox.

If you are not logged in yet, you will need to provide your email address and login password

Step 2. Select a spam message

Move the mouse pointer over the email you want to report as spam, then select the white circle that appeared on the left of the email preview. A check mark will appear inside the latter.

If you are not using the beta version of the Outlook web interface, you will need to select the check button visible on the left of the message header

Step 3. Press the Junk button

It is visible at the top of the page. The chosen message will be immediately moved to the "Junk" folder.

Step 4. Select the Junk folder

It is one of the items in the left bar of the Outlook web interface.

Step 5. Press the Delete All button

It is located above the list of messages in the "Junk" folder.

Step 6. Press the Delete All button when prompted

This way all spam messages in the "Junk" folder will be permanently deleted.

Part 5 of 9: Block Spam Using the Mobile Version of Outlook

Step 1. Launch the Outlook app

It features a blue icon with a white square inside. If you are already logged into your Outlook account, you will be redirected directly to its inbox.

If you are not logged in yet, you will need to provide your email address and login password

Step 2. Select an E-Mail

Press and hold your finger on the header of the message you want to report as spam until it is marked with a check mark.

Step 3. Press the "Move to" button

It features a folder icon with a small arrow and is located at the bottom of the screen. A menu will appear.

Step 4. Select the Spam entry

It is one of the options present in the menu that appeared.

Step 5. Press the ☰ button

It is located in the upper left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.

Step 6. Choose the Spam item

It is visible in the center of the appeared menu.

Step 7. Press the Empty Spam Folder button

It is located at the top of the screen.

Step 8. Press the Permanently Delete button when prompted

In this way, all spam messages in the "Spam" folder will be permanently deleted.

Part 6 of 9: Block Spam Using Yahoo Desktop Version

Step 1. Log in to the Yahoo website

Use the internet browser of your choice and the URL https://mail.yahoo.com/. If you are already logged into your Yahoo account, you will be redirected directly to your inbox.

If you are not logged in yet, you will need to provide your email address and login password

Step 2. Select an E-Mail

Click the check button on the left of the header of the email you want to mark as spam.

Step 3. Press the Spam button

It is visible at the top of the Yahoo web interface. In this way the chosen message will be immediately moved inside the named folder Spam.

Step 4. Select the Spam folder

Move the mouse pointer over the folder Spam visible within the left sidebar of the Yahoo web interface. You will see a trash can icon appear.

Step 5. Click the trash can icon that appears

It is located on the right of the folder Spam.

Step 6. Press the OK button when prompted

This will cause all messages in the folder Spam they will be permanently deleted.

Part 7 of 9: Block Spam Using Yahoo's Mobile Version

Step 1. Launch the Yahoo app

It features an envelope icon on a purple background. If you are already logged into your Yahoo account you will be redirected directly to your inbox.

If you are not logged in yet, you will need to provide your email address and login password

Step 2. Select an E-Mail

Press and hold your finger on the header of the message you want to report as spam until it is marked with a check mark.

Step 3. Press the ⋯ button

It is located in the lower right corner of the screen. A new menu will appear.

Step 4. Choose the Mark as spam option

It is one of the items in the menu that appeared. This will move the selected message into the folder Spam.

Step 5. Press the ☰ button

It is located in the upper left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.

Step 6. Delete the contents of the "Spam" folder

Scroll through the list until you find the folder Spam, then tap the trash can icon to its right.

Step 7. Press the OK button when prompted

This will cause all messages in the folder Spam they will be permanently deleted.

Part 8 of 9: Block Spam Using the Desktop Version of Apple Mail

Step 1. Log in to the iCloud website

Use the internet browser of your choice and the URL https://www.icloud.com/. You will be taken to the iCloud login page.

Step 2. Log in with your account

Enter your profile's Apple ID and its security password, then press the → button.

If you are already signed in to iCloud, skip this step

Step 3. Select the Mail item

It features a white envelope icon on a light blue background.

Step 4. Select an email

Click the header of the email you want to mark as spam.

Step 5. Click the flag icon

It is located at the top right of the page. A small drop-down menu will appear.

Step 6. Choose the Move to Junk folder option

It is one of the menu options that appeared. The chosen message will be automatically moved into the folder Junk Mail.

Step 7. Select the Junk Email option

It is one of the items present in the left sidebar of the page.

Step 8. Delete unwanted emails

Select the header of the message you want to delete, then click the trash can icon at the top right of the page. The chosen item will be automatically deleted.