What Is the Difference Between Spam and Phishing?
By the Spamtrace team. . 2 minute read.
Spam is unwanted email, usually advertising. Phishing is a trick: the email pretends to be a company or person you trust, so you hand over a password, money, or personal details. If an email asks you to log in, pay, or confirm your details, treat it as phishing until you have checked another way.
What is spam?
Spam is email you never asked for, sent to many people at once. It usually advertises something. It is annoying, but it is not always trying to steal from you.
What is phishing?
Phishing is an email that pretends to come from someone you trust, such as your bank, the post office, or a government agency. It tries to get you to give away a password, money, or personal details.
How can you tell them apart?
| Question | Spam | Phishing |
|---|---|---|
| What does it want? | To sell you something | Your password, money, or details |
| Who does it claim to be? | Often an unknown company | A company or person you know |
| Does it rush you? | Sometimes | Almost always |
| Main danger | Wasted time | Lost money or a stolen account |
What are the warning signs of phishing?
- It says your account will be closed unless you act now.
- It asks you to log in through a link in the email.
- It asks for payment by gift card or wire transfer.
- The sender's address does not match the company's real website.
What should you do with each one?
For spam: do not click anything. Mark it as spam in your email, and report it with Spamtrace within 2 days if you never signed up.
For phishing: do not click, reply, or open attachments. To check, call the company using the number on its real website or on your card. If you lost money, call your bank right away, then report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at ic3.gov.
What if you already clicked?
Read what to do if you clicked a link in a spam email. Acting quickly helps.