How to Stop Spam Emails and Save Your Inbox [Corporate Email Edition]

Everyone agrees that email is fast becoming the preferred communication channel for businesses and customers. Every company uses corporate email to stay in touch with it’s partners, suppliers, vendors, and clients. With the help of AI and ML, email services are becoming more innovative and valuable than ever before.

But in recent years, we’ve also seen a dramatic rise in spam emails. If you use your corporate email address to register on websites or subscribe to newsletters, you probably know how annoying spam messages can be. 

Thanks to email spammers, you might have even ended up with an inbox full of spam emails you don’t want to read. Most modern spam filtering algorithms can identify up to 90% of spam, but this still results in almost one-third of all user emails being junk messages which may have malicious links or attachments. 

Using your corporate email address for personal use may also be frowned upon. The good news is that you can take action to fix spam issues and keep your corporate inbox clean. 

Keep reading on to find out how to stop spam emails.

Tips for Businesses

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of dealing with spam in your organization, let’s discuss some general best practices. First, you must know the answer to this central question: What is spam email and how can you prevent it? 

Spam or junk mail refers to unwanted commercial or promotional emails typically sent en masse. While they typically offer products and services, these emails can also be fraudulent, with fake discounts or promotions that are often “too good to be true.”

The best way to prevent spam is with some common sense. To protect your business email inbox, it helps understanding common spam sources and how to avoid them. You can follow this simple set of rules described below, and you’ll have a clean inbox without malicious offers hitting your filters: 

• Register for websites using disposable email addresses or use public ESPs. 
• Use different passwords for every website you sign up for. 
• Don’t click on links in emails from people you don’t know. 
• Try to eliminate the temptation to click on everything that comes your way. 
• If you’re running the IT department, create separate email accounts for each employee. 
• Set up alerts for incoming emails that might be spam. 
• Train employees on the importance of using discretion with their email correspondence.
• If necessary, you can also create specific guidelines dictating the use of corporate emails within the company.

Now we can move forward and learn how to stop spam emails permanently: 

Authenticate Your Email Infrastructure

Email authentication protocols such as DMARC, DKIM, and SPF are the best ways to prevent email spammers. Your IT department can set up these policies, so all messages sent from your domain are from a verified source. 

DMARC is the ultimate authentication strategy, cutting down all fraudulent emails with the help of SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail). Each of these protocols works together to ensure all your emails are authentic. The system also helps prevent bad actors from impersonating your domain online.

A robust, DMARC-authenticated domain is the best assurance you can offer your clients and business partners regarding your online presence. While it won’t stop inbound spam messages, you’ll have peace of mind that fraudulent spam messages using your company’s good name will be rejected and blocked.

With DMARC in place, you’ll lessen the risk of being affected by data loss trickery such as spoofing or spamming. EasyDMARC can assist you with our expert team, an extensive catalog of tools, and all-in-one solutions ready to enhance your email security.

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Use Spam Filters and Train Them

Usually, a solid filter is the first line of defense against spam mail. Most email providers have a spam filter that flags suspicious incoming messages, allowing you to delete them without reading them. 

In some cases, you can train your spam filter to be more discerning to identify fewer legitimate messages as spam while still keeping the spam out. You can train spam filters by moving fraudulent messages to the spam inbox if they ever reach your inbox.

You can also find several third-party spam filters that you can install on your computer or in your email account. They’re usually free or have a free trial period and can be very effective against spam.

Tips for Employees

Now, let’s talk about the things your workers can do to keep their inboxes clean and free of spam. First and foremost, they should treat their company email as the corporate website. Your team should avoid signing up for newsletters or other offers unless they have a good reason to do so.

It’s also crucial that employees never answer any emails they suspect might be a scam, even if it looks like it comes from an internal and legitimate source. Any unusual requests should always be confirmed in person. Overall, company email addresses should be limited to work-related communications.

Keep Work Email for Work Only

This is easier said than done. We have to negate our basic instincts to learn how to stop getting spam emails. We, humans,  tend to make everything easier for ourselves. That’s why signing on to most services using a single email address is a sure way to get access to everything we need without trouble. Many ESPs offer the easy option to log in to services such as social media and software using our email accounts.

Google and Facebook are at the top of the services with their easy sign-in processes. Using your work email account in such a fashion is unwise, mainly if your company uses Google Workspace. It may take more time, but instead, use your email for social media and newsletters and keep your company inbox safe by using it only for professional communication. 

Unsubscribe from Unnecessary Newsletters

Finally, avoid spam, you should unsubscribe from newsletters and mailing lists that you don’t care about. This seems easy to do, but it’s pretty hard. Most newsletters and mailing lists are set up to make it as difficult as possible for you to unsubscribe from them. 

Find a way to unsubscribe from them and do it as soon as possible. You can usually find a link that says something like “unsubscribe” or “manage your subscriptions” somewhere in the emails you receive from those newsletters and mailing lists. Be mindful of any service that offers a challenging opt-out option.

As we mentioned, it’s best to avoid signing up for services or third-party newsletters using your work email. If you must sign up for these services, it’s best to inform the IT department or ensure the website offers legitimate, helpful information for your line of work.

Keep Your Work Email Off Social Media

If you post your work email address on social media, you’re giving spammers and scammers a free pass to your inbox. This might sound strange and counterproductive since it defeats the purpose of networking, but it’s an excellent idea. 

This is especially true if you have a corporate account with a recognizable name. Be careful with your posts, and always keep your work email off social media unless necessary. Social media is one of the biggest security concerns for most workplaces. They’re a great entry point for email spammers. Linking your social media profiles to your work email account allows hackers to spoof, spam, or exploit your business email address.

This isn’t just about spam email — there are also other security implications. If your work email is connected to your social media accounts, spammers can use it to breach your business accounts and access your sensitive information. Keeping these things separate will help protect your social media accounts and make your work email account safer.

Final Thoughts

Email is the most commonly used channel for business communication and marketing. Given its importance, it’s no surprise that spammers target companies with malicious email campaigns looking to steal data, spread viruses, and trick people into buying products they don’t want. 

Fortunately, it’s easy to avoid spam in your inbox. Avoid clicking links from suspicious emails, use different passwords for every website you sign up for, and train your spam filters to be more discerning. You can always authenticate your email infrastructure as well. EasyDMARC can easily help you with this so all your messages reach your recipients safely.