Spam

Spam consists of electronic messages that were not requested or are unwanted, especially bulk email sent to many recipients. Spam can be merely intrusive advertising, but it can also carry scams, phishing links, or malware. A message being unwanted does not by itself prove that it is dangerous.

How do mail services handle spam?

Mail providers use different signals to decide whether a message belongs in the inbox, a spam folder, or should be rejected. Signals can include sender reputation, results of checks on the sender or message signature, message patterns, user reports, and provider-specific rules. A message can be misclassified in either direction: unwanted mail can reach the inbox, and legitimate mail can be filtered.

For example, Alex expects a receipt from a shop but finds it in the spam folder. Alex can check whether the sender and purchase are familiar before marking it as safe. Conversely, a message that appears to come from a known company can still be phishing. Folder placement is a filtering decision, not a guarantee about the message's truth or safety.

Is spam the same as phishing or malware?

No. Spam describes unwanted messages or bulk sending; phishing is an attempt to trick someone into revealing information or taking an unsafe action, and malware is harmful software. A spam campaign may include phishing or malware, but many spam messages do not. Filtering and blocklists are also imperfect, so a listing or spam score should be interpreted as one signal rather than a complete verdict.

Related terms

• Phishing — deceptive messages seeking information or access
• Malware — harmful software
• Email spoofing — misleading sender identity
• Email quarantine and rejection — possible filtering outcomes