Identifying email as spam is actually pretty easy. If there is an email in your inbox from an address you don’t recognize, nine times out of ten, it’s spam. Spammers often have very unusual email addresses, like fjkli33808@emailprovider.com. These nonsensical email addresses are the result of automated computer programs that sign up for hundreds of email addresses at a time for use in spamming operations. The subject lines in spam emails can range from strings of unrelated words to very apt phrases that bear resemblance to an email search you’ve recently conducted. While the former is simply annoying, the latter can be a clue that you have spyware in your computer that needs to be removed. If this happens to you, consult your local computer service business for help in getting rid of it.

One particularly vicious type of spam is called phishing email. These emails are designed by dishonest people to look like legitimate communications from email providers, banks, and other establishments with whom you do business. These emails invariably contain a link that will take you to a fake website so you can log into your ‘account’. As soon as you log in and use your real user name and password, the spammer has your account information and can use it to take over your online accounts and even get their hands on your money. If you get an email from an establishment where you have an account, it is always best to check with the establishment in person or by phone- not by replying to the email. Read the rest of this entry

What is a “reverse email search”?

Everyone knows how to do a reverse phone number search- just enter a mysterious number off your caller id into the google search bar and press enter. You’ll know who called you in seconds, especially if it’s a business phone number. But with email, it’s a bit trickier. There is no central listing of email addresses like phone numbers are listed in a phone book. When you sign up for a phone number and service, you must supply verifiable personal information like your social security number. But with email, you don’t have to provide a full name at all, let alone your real name. Even honest people who have no intention of misusing their email account often sign up for accounts using only their initials or a nickname for security reasons.

A Reverse email search can be a challenging task.

This is what makes it so difficult to run a reverse email search on your own. You can try typing the email address into Google or another search engine, but unless the person has listed their complete email address on a web page or site, you are unlikely to get any useful information. There are free email search websites that can look up a specific person’s email address or look up who owns an email address, but most of the time you’re not going to get a lot of valuable information from a free search. Read the rest of this entry