Unwanted email mostly from bots or advertisers. it can be used to send malware.

Spam email — also called junk mail or spam mail — refers to unsolicited messages sent in bulk to many different email addresses. Most spam appears in the way of relatively harmless emails from advertisers. But spam is also a low-risk, high-reward method for scammers to unleash phishing attacks.

Just opening a spam email can result in getting even more spam, and clicking a malicious link or attachment can expose you to ransomware or other types of malware, such as the Emotet botnet that spreads from inbox to inbox.

Keep reading to learn how to stop spam emails by adjusting your privacy settings and considering your online habits. We’ll guide you through reporting and blocking spam and teach you how to unsubscribe from unwanted spam email campaigns.

Report the email as spam

You can remove junk emails manually, but that won’t stop spammers from sending you more unwanted emails in the future. And it won’t protect you against viruses or other types of malware hidden in unsolicited emails — for that you’ll need a malware removal tool.

To effectively block spam you need to report it, because that helps your email client learn which email address to block and how to filter spam more generally.

Here’s how to report spam on Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook, and Yahoo mail:

How to report spam mail on Gmail

1. Open Gmail.

2. Check the box to the left of each spam email you want to report.

3. Then, click the Report Spam button (the stop sign icon) in the mailbox toolbar.

How to report spam mail on Apple Mail

1. Open Apple Mail.

2. Click the spam email you want to report and then click the Junk Mail icon in the mailbox toolbar.

How to report spam mail on Outlook

1. Open Outlook.

2. Right-click the spam email you want to report.

3. Go to Security options and click Mark as junk.

How to report spam mail on Yahoo Mail

1. Open Yahoo Mail.

2. Check the box to the left of each junk email you want to report.

3. Then click the Spam button in the mailbox toolbar.

After you start training your email how to recognize and stop spam emails, teach yourself how to spot amazon phishing emails and other spam on your own. Spammers may know how to avoid getting caught by spam email filters, but they may not be able to fool a well-trained eye.

While filtering addresses some spam emails, you should outright block spam email addresses that are persistent, dangerous, or fake. And remember to report any internet scams you come across, such as Apple ID phishing scams and other threats.

Block spam email addresses

Blocking unwanted emails stops spam from reaching that email address permanently, but be careful how you go about doing it, because opening some spam emails can prompt a deluge of more junk emails from other spam accounts.

Here’s how to block spam email addresses on Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook, and Yahoo mail:

How to block spam email addresses on Gmail

1. Open Gmail, and check the box of the spam email whose sender you’d like to block.

2. Click the three vertical dots displayed along the top of your inbox and select Filter messages like these.

3. Click Create filter to create a new gmail filter for that address.

4. Select Delete it from the list of actions and click Create filter again to confirm.

How to block spam email addresses on Apple Mail

1. Open the Mail App and select a message from the sender you want to block.

2. In the message header, click the arrow next to the sender’s name and select Block Contact.

How to block spam email addresses on Outlook

1. Open Outlook and right-click the email whose address you want to block.

2. Scroll to Security Options, select Block Sender, and click.

How to block spam emails addresses on Yahoo Mail

1. Open Yahoo Mail and check the box to the left of the email whose sender you want to block.

2. Click the three horizontal dots in the mailbox toolbar and select Block senders.

For more about other kinds of spam, check out our guides to learn how to stop spam text messages and block phone number spoofing. Though unlikely, email and text spam can be delivery mechanisms for malware — yes, phones can get viruses just like computers.

Change your email privacy settings

Stopping spammers from flooding your inbox with unwanted junk emails is good, but changing your email privacy settings — and your habits — to reduce your exposure to spam in the first place is even better.

Always keep your email as private as possible. This means being careful about the people and organizations you share your address with. And use two-factor authentication to further secure your inbox.

Here’s how to adjust your email privacy settings to avoid spam emails and stop advertisers and other third parties from having access to your address.

Change your settings on Gmail

1. Open Gmail and click your account icon in the upper-right corner.

2. Then click Manage your Google Account.

3. On the left-navigation menu, click Security.

4. Review your current settings and change any that need to be updated. We recommend removing access to your account for any third-parties sending you unwanted spam.

Change your settings on Apple Mail

1. Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac and select System Preferences.

2. Click the Security and Privacy option and adjust settings according to your preferences.

Change your settings on Outlook

1. Click your account icon in the upper-right corner and select My Microsoft Account.

2. Click Privacy, then click Privacy dashboard.

3. Click View app access details under Apps and services and remove access from any app sending you spam or other unwanted emails.

Change your settings on Yahoo Mail

1. Open Yahoo Mail.

2. Click the Gear icon in the top-right corner and choose More Settings.

3. Click Security and Privacy. Add specific email address you want to block, or entire domain names to block apps or services from having access to your email address.

Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters or mailing lists

Another reason you could be getting spam is because you’ve actually signed up to receive it — knowingly or not. Removing your email address from spam subscription lists is a great way to thin out the junk in your inbox.

To begin, open your email and enter unsubscribe into your email search bar. That will bring up all the newsletters and mailing lists you can unsubscribe to, because all of those emails will have options to unsubscribe buried at the bottom of their email campaigns.

Now you can select the spam emails you never open or read, or those you no longer wish to receive, and click the unsubscribe link included at the bottom of the email. Many newsletters and advertising campaigns, even those from reputable services, make it hard to find the unsubscribe button. But if you scroll carefully you’ll find it. If not, you can always report the email as spam, which will unsubscribe you automatically.

Use a secondary email address

Creating a secondary email account is another way to protect your mailbox from spam. Email addresses used for purchases, event sign-ups, or downloads often end up on spam lists. Using one email address for work, friends, and family and another for everything else can drastically clean up your inbox.

For more online privacy tips, like encrypting your inbox with an email encryption tool or using an anonymous email to keep your mailbox secure and hidden, check out our other guides.

Use a third-party email filter

Even the best junk mail filter can’t catch every single unwanted email. Using a third-party email filter along with your regular email filter will boost your spam defenses. There are many strong third-party email filters to help you prevent spam, including Mailwasher, SpamSieve, Zerospam, Spambrella, and SpamTitan.

Delete suspicious emails

Don’t engage with suspicious emails or click links in spam. Doing so risks triggering more spam or even exposing you to scams or malware. Spam emails might even have a fake unsubscribe link, causing you to get even more spam.

Some junk emails are designed to get you to open the email so they know your account is active. Then, they can target you with more junk. If something looks a bit off, it probably is. To be safe, simply delete the email — if it’s important, the sender will likely contact you some other way.

And remember to empty your spam folder periodically. Emails you mark as spam are usually kept in your email for a certain period of time, in case you want to reverse your decision. To make sure you inbox stays clean, or even if you want to free up space, empty your spam folder.

How to delete unwanted emails on Gmail

1. Open Gmail and click the Spam folder in the left-navigation menu.

2. Click Delete all spam messages now from the top menu ribbon. Click OK to confirm.

How to delete unwanted emails on Apple Mail

1. Open Apple Mail and select the Junk Mail option on the left-hand side.

2. Highlight the desired messages.

3. Click the metal trash can icon.

How to delete unwanted emails on Outlook

1. Open Outlook

2. Click Junk Email on the left side, then select Empty folder.

3. Click Delete all to confirm.

How to delete unwanted emails on Yahoo Mail

1. Open Yahoo and click Spam on the left-hand menu.

2. Then check the box next to all the spam emails you want to delete.

3. Click the trash icon to empty your spam folder and click OK to confirm.

Protect your device against malicious spam

Spam and other unwanted messages can come from anywhere, and filtering them out of your inbox can seem like a game of whack-a-mole. Thankfully, all-encompassing security and privacy software like Avast One can protect your email and shield your entire network from any malicious threats trying to get through.

Avast One is built on top of an award-winning threat-detection engine, and it has an array of other security and privacy features like an email protection tool that automatically blocks malicious links and attachments. Download Avast One today for ironclad online protection.

Is unwanted email mostly from bots or advertisers it can be used to send malware?

Is an unwanted email mostly from advertisers?