Step 6: Reduce unwanted emails—managing spam

Spam is the internet equivalent of junk mail in your letter box. Spam emails are commercial electronic messages that have been sent to you without your consent. Senders often attempt to buy, sell or advertise goods, services, land, investment opportunities and so on through spam.

Spam not only fills your inbox with annoying, unwanted messages, but also costs you the time it takes to delete them. And if the spam problem is particularly bad, you may encounter increased costs because they may use your monthly download allowance.

Viruses and spyware are often sent as spam so it is important to have systems to deal with spam safely.

How to reduce unwanted emails (spam)

How to reduce spam getting through to your email box

It is possible to take steps to reduce the amount of spam you receive. You can:

• activate any spam filtering options that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) offers—check their website
• install a spam filter to stop spam emails getting to your inbox—you will find spam filters through your preferred search engine and your ISP may list effective spam filters on its website, or
• activate any spam filtering function provided by the email program you use.

How to deal with any spam that gets through to you

There are a number of steps you can take.

• Add the spam address to 'junk senders'. Most email programs have the ability to add them to a 'junk senders' list which blocks them next time they try send email to you.
• Do not respond to spam from unknown sources—do not use the 'remove' or 'unsubscribe' link or click on any button in the email such as Quit. These links can be used to confirm that an email account is active, and can lead to even more spam being sent.
• If the source seems genuine, and the message appears to promote a legitimate Australian business, contact the business and ask them to take you off their mailing list.
• Do not open attachments in any messages if the source of the message is unknown or is suspicious.
• Report spam to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) or install the SpamMATTERS reporting tool available from the ACMA website.

Further information

Australian Communications and Media Authority

The spam section on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) website offers a range of anti-spam resources for consumers, government and businesses.

Complaints about spam can be made to ACMA as it is the government agency responsible for enforcing The Spam Act 2003.

ACMA provides a reporting tool, SpamMATTERS, which can be installed in an email program and used to report spam directly to ACMA.

ACMA also provides information and downloadable guides on the things you can do to protect your email address from spam and reduce the amount of spam you receive, as well as advice on compliance with the Act.

Access Spam ACMA website.

Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy(DBCDE) has policy responsibility for spam. The Department's spam webpage contains further information on The Spam Act 2003.

The Australian Government has implemented the Spam Act 2003 as one part of its approach to combating the widespread problem of spam. The Spam Act prohibits the sending of unsolicited commercial electronic messages.

AccessSpam DBCDE website.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission

ASIC acts against scams involving financial products and services. Further information is provided on its financial tips and safety checks website, FIDO.

Access Scams - FIDO website.