Lately I have been inundated with scam emails and have had two friends who were caught off guard and lost a couple of thousand dollars. That is why I am hitting you with so many articles on scams and their prevention. I don’t want to see another friend lose money or the use of their computer to these crooks.
No matter what email service you use, spam emails might still make their way into your inbox. Sometimes these emails set off alarm bells—but other messages from scammers are trickier to spot. If you do respond to, click on, or engage with spam emails, there are a few possible consequences.
What happens when you respond to spam emails depends entirely on the kind of spam email. Simply replying to spam emails mostly just confirms that your email is active, making you a target for future campaigns or scams. There usually isn’t a direct response from scammers.
In some cases, the spam links to a very convincing-looking copycat website. If you follow the link, anything you fill in on that website—usernames and passwords, personal information, credit card details, and transaction numbers—go right back to the scammer.
Another possibility is that the link or an attachment in a spam email will download a virus or spyware onto your computer. This download can actively record all your typing and send your information to the hacker. If you do download the software, the scammers could also find and send emails to even more victims and attack websites on the internet, in addition to stealing your personal info.
If you want to avoid these scams altogether, watch out for things like fake invoices and fake UPS or FedEx delivery notifications. Beware of emails prompting you to download or install anything, log in and change your credentials, and emails saying you’ve won something like a family inheritance, too. Scammers tend to use phrases that add urgency to trick people. So they might say you already have a virus on your computer, that you need to update your browser ASAP, or that your account is about to close right now. If you’re still unsure after looking at the body of the email analyze link spelling since even one or two “off” letters might mean the email isn’t legit.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry with your personal information. Do not reuse passwords, download an antivirus app.
FAQs
If you reply to spam emails, it tells scammers that your email is real. Then they might send more spam. Also, talking to scammers can be risky. They might try to get your personal info or trick you into something bad.
What happens when you respond to a spam email? ›
When you respond, you confirm that your email account is active, making you a target for further attacks. Your email security tools might then recognize the attacker as someone you trust, allowing future phishing attempts to land directly in your inbox.
What happens when you answer spam? ›
If you accidentally answer a spam call, scammers know your number is connected to a real person and can target you with more spam calls. These targeted spam calls will try to trick you into giving up your personal information which allows cybercriminals to steal your money, your identity and even your voice.
What happens to spam emails? ›
What Happens to Emails in the Spam Folder? You can be sure that old messages in the Spam and Trash folders won't take up too much disk space in your email account, as all emails are automatically deleted from these folders after 30 days. This will permanently delete the message from your email account.
Who is the guy who responds to spam emails on Ted talk? ›
About the speaker
For James Veitch, spam emails proved the perfect opening to have some fun, playing the scammers at their own game.
What can happen if you reply to a spam text? ›
Directly replying to a spam text message lets a spammer know that your number is genuine. After you reply, they can sell your phone number to other spammers who might bombard you with false promises of free gifts and product offers. Instead, it's best to block and report the number.
Can someone hack you if you respond to an email? ›
Responding to infected emails can also reveal your location, which cyberattackers use to locate the server and attack your network. You also may share personal details in your response. Cybercriminals only need a few pieces of identifiable information to hack your accounts.
What is the danger of replying to spam? ›
Simply replying to spam emails mostly just confirms that your email is active, making you a target for future campaigns or scams. There usually isn't a direct response from scammers. In some cases, the spam links to a very convincing-looking copycat website.
What happens if I answer a spam call but don't say anything? ›
You'll be targeted by even more scammers
So they'll keep calling you, sometimes from different phone numbers, trying to get you to answer again. They'll try different schemes, too, as they think you might be an easy target. You can avoid this situation by blocking calls from unknown numbers.
What happens if I answer a spam call and say hello? ›
Many robocall scams start with a question like “Hello, can you hear me?” to which people may reply “yes” without thinking. They can then store the recording of your confirmation and use it for fraudulent activities. So, avoid saying yes where possible.
Unlike unsubscribing, senders can't see that you've blocked them. So blocking is better for your privacy and for dealing with suspicious messages or senders you don't trust.
Do spammers know if you open their email? ›
Scammers will be able to tell that you opened an email if you download any attachments or click on any links (which you should never do), or if your email client automatically loads any images that are embedded in the message.
Can you get in trouble for spam emails? ›
That means all email – for example, a message to former customers announcing a new product line – must comply with the law. Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $51,744, so non-compliance can be costly. But following the law isn't complicated.
What if I accidentally replied to a phishing email? ›
Communicate to IT: If you have responded to a phishing email unintentionally or accidentally, never hide it from your organization. Reporting it to your IT team as soon as possible can help remediate the situation.
Who sends all the spam emails? ›
Spam can be sent by real humans, but more often, it is sent by a botnet, which is a network of computers (bots or spambots) infected with malware and controlled by a single attacking party (bot herder). Apart from email, spam can also be distributed via text messages or social media.
What is the most clicked TED talk? ›
TED Conference
In first place comes Sir Ken Robinson's 2006 talk, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?", with almost 75 million views.
Why is it important not to respond to spam messages? ›
Never reply
Doing so confirms to the spammers that you're a real person and a potential target. Sometimes spammers try to trick you into responding by saying, "text STOP to be removed from our mailing list" or something similar. Don't be fooled by this. If you reply, you can expect more spam texts and calls.
How serious are spam emails? ›
Cybercriminals often send computer viruses and malware through malicious attachments like . pdf or . zip files. Hackers are experts at sending phishing emails with malicious links that look almost identical to legitimate emails.
What happens when an email is reported as spam? ›
When you report an email as spam, it's moved from your inbox to Spam. Emails from the same sender might be sent to the Spam folder in the future.
