Why Am I Suddenly Getting So Much Spam?
By the Spamtrace team. . 2 minute read.
A sudden rise in spam usually means your email address has reached a new list, often through a data breach, a contest or sign-up form, or a public web page. It does not usually mean someone has broken into your email. Marking messages as spam and using a second address for sign-ups can help.
What causes a sudden increase in spam?
- A data breach. A company that had your address was hacked, and the list was passed around.
- A sign-up or contest. Some websites share or sell the addresses they collect.
- Your address is public. Spammers collect addresses from websites and social media.
- Guessing. Spammers try common names at popular email services.
- A filter gap. Spammers change their methods, and filters take time to catch up.
How can you get less spam?
- Mark spam as spam instead of only deleting it. This trains your filter.
- Do not reply or click links in email from senders you do not know.
- Unsubscribe only from companies you recognize. See is it safe to unsubscribe?
- Use a second email address for sign-ups, contests, and shopping.
- Keep your address off public web pages.
How can you check if your email was in a data breach?
The free site Have I Been Pwned lets you check. If your address appears, change the password on the affected account, and anywhere else you used it.
Should I change my email address?
Usually not. It is a lot of work, and filters handle most spam. Consider it only if your inbox has become unusable.
Should you report spam that keeps coming?
If the same sender keeps writing to you and you never signed up, you can report it with Spamtrace. Please do it within 2 days of receiving the email, so the abuse team can still act.