Practical Ways to Reduce Spam

01

Email Spam

Most email providers include built in spam filtering that improves the more you use it. Marking unwanted messages as spam, rather than simply deleting them, helps train the filter to recognise similar messages in future. It is also worth checking your spam or junk folder occasionally for genuine messages that were filtered incorrectly.

Reduce Exposure

Avoid posting your main email address publicly on websites, forums or social media, since automated tools scan the web specifically to harvest addresses. Consider using a separate email address for online sign ups, newsletters and competitions, keeping your primary address for personal and important correspondence.

Unsubscribe Carefully

For legitimate companies, using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of an email is usually safe and effective. However, if a message looks like it comes from an unfamiliar or suspicious sender, clicking unsubscribe can sometimes confirm to a spammer that your address is active, leading to more spam rather than less. In those cases it is safer to simply mark the message as spam or block the sender.

02

SMS and Call Spam

Many mobile networks offer call blocking or spam identification features, either built into the phone's operating system or through a separate app. These can flag or block known spam and scam numbers automatically. It is worth checking your phone's settings for a built in call screening or spam protection option before installing a third party app.

For unwanted SMS messages, most phones allow you to block a specific number directly from the messaging app, and many also let you report a message as spam, which helps improve network level filtering over time.

03

WhatsApp and Social Media Spam

WhatsApp allows you to block and report unknown numbers sending unsolicited messages directly from the chat screen. Be cautious of messages, even from known contacts, that seem unusually generic, urgent or out of character, since these often indicate a compromised account rather than a genuine message from that person.

On social media platforms, reviewing your privacy settings to limit who can message you directly, and being selective about which groups and pages you join, can meaningfully reduce unsolicited contact.

04

Recognising Phishing and Scam Spam

Several warning signs commonly appear in phishing and scam messages:

• A sense of urgency, such as threats that an account will be closed or a fine will be issued within hours
• Requests for personal information, passwords, OTPs or banking details via a link or reply
• Generic greetings instead of your actual name, despite claiming to be from a service you use
• Links that, when hovered over or long pressed, show a web address that does not match the organisation it claims to be from
• Unexpected attachments, especially ones ending in file types like .exe or .zip

If a message claims to be from your bank, a government department or a delivery company and asks you to click a link or provide details, it is safer to contact that organisation directly through a known, official channel rather than responding to the message itself.

05

Keeping Devices and Accounts Secure

Keeping your phone and computer's operating system and apps updated helps close security gaps that spam and malware campaigns often try to exploit. Using unique passwords for different accounts, combined with two factor authentication where available, reduces the risk that a single leaked password leads to your email or social accounts being used to send spam to your contacts.

06

A Realistic Expectation

No combination of settings or habits eliminates spam entirely. New techniques and loopholes appear regularly, so an occasional unwanted message getting through is normal. The goal of the steps above is to reduce volume and risk significantly, not to achieve a perfect inbox or phone.