What Is Spam?

The term SPAM refers to any email that is sent unsolicited to one or more people. SPAM email is also referred to as unsolicited commercial email (UCE), unsolicited bulk email (UBE), or junk email. spam email usually contains advertisements for services or products, but are rarely for reputable companies.

Types of spam email
While the basic definition of SPAM email is simple, there are many different permutations of what constitutes SPAM. Here’s a list of some of the more popular spam email schemes:

• Phishing scams are a very popular and dangerous form of spam email. But phishing is a particularly devious type of spam email, because the fraudulent perpetrators pretend to represent a legitimate enterprise, especially ones that you may already deal with. This makes it all that much easier for the public to fall victim to the scam. The perpetrators try to get you to divulge personal information that they can use fraudulently.
• SPAM is also sent by criminals who pose as a foreign bank, or solicit advanced fees for some sort of fraudulent scheme that they never follow through with, pocketing the victim’s fee in the process.
• Get rich quick schemes. They have been around for decades, and it’s no surprise that they made their way onto the Internet. This can include pyramid schemes or multilevel marketing.
• Quack health products and remedies. One of the most prevalent spam emails is the selling of questionable health products. Promises of increased sex drive, sexual prowess, hair growth
• Ads for pornographic websites. Porn is a multibillion dollar industry, and it’s particularly lucrative online. People go where the money is, so it’s no surprise that since sex sell, it will be sold to you - whether you like it or not - via email.
• Illegally pirated software. Nicknamed warez, pirated software costs companies millions. For you, the cost is wasted time deleting the spam emails.
• Chain letters. We’ve all gotten them before. And often they are from well-intentioned friends or relatives. Sometimes they are sentimental moral tales, or amazing photos of people in extraordinary situations.