Receiving Too Many Spam Messages? Here is What you Need to do Now

 

It's frustrating to deal with spam, especially when it floods your website's email. Here's a breakdown of strategies you can use to reduce or stop spam messages:

1. Email Address Protection:

  • Obfuscate your email address on your website: Instead of displaying your email address directly (e.g., info@example.com), use techniques like:
    • Contact forms: The best option. Force users to fill out a form, which then sends the message to your email address behind the scenes. This hides your address from spambots that crawl websites.  
    • JavaScript: Display your email address using JavaScript. Spambots often don't execute JavaScript, so they won't see the address. However, this can also make it slightly less convenient for legitimate users. Example: email = "info@example.com"; document.write('<a href="mailto:' + email + '">' + email + '</a>');
    • Image: Display your email address as an image. Spambots can't read text from images (easily). However, this makes it harder for users to copy and paste your address.
    • Encoding: Use HTML entity encoding (e.g., &#105;nfo&#64;example.com). This is less common now but can still offer some protection.
  • Use a separate email address for your website: Create an email address specifically for your website (e.g., website-inquiries@example.com). This way, if that address gets spammed, it won't affect your personal or business email.
  • Avoid posting your email address publicly: Be mindful of where you post your email address online. Avoid putting it in forums, comment sections, or other public areas where spambots can easily harvest it.  

2. Implement Spam Filtering:

  • Server-side spam filtering: Most email providers (like Gmail, Outlook, etc.) have built-in spam filters. Make sure these are enabled and configured to a level that's appropriate for you. You can often train these filters by marking messages as spam.  
  • Client-side spam filtering: If you use an email client (like Thunderbird or Outlook), it likely has its own spam filtering capabilities. Again, ensure it's enabled and configured.  
  • Third-party spam filtering services: Consider using a dedicated spam filtering service. These services often offer more advanced filtering options and can be particularly helpful for businesses. They sit between your mail server and your inbox.
  • Blacklists (RBLs): Your mail server might already use Real-time Blackhole Lists (RBLs) to block emails from known spam sources. If not, you can explore adding RBLs to your server configuration.  

3. CAPTCHAs and Honeypots:

  • CAPTCHAs (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart): Use CAPTCHAs on your contact forms. These present challenges that are easy for humans to solve but difficult for bots. Google reCAPTCHA is a popular option.  
  • Honeypots: These are hidden fields in your contact form that are invisible to human users but visible to bots. If a bot fills out a honeypot field, you know it's likely spam and can block the submission.  

4. Email Authentication:

  • SPF (Sender Policy Framework): SPF allows you to specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. This helps prevent spammers from forging your email address.
  • DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails, which can be verified by the receiving mail server. This helps ensure that the email hasn't been tampered with.  
  • DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM by allowing you to specify what should happen to emails that fail authentication. You can choose to reject, quarantine, or monitor these emails.  

5. Contact Form Best Practices:

  • Limit the number of form fields: The fewer fields a spammer has to fill out, the easier it is for them. Only ask for essential information.
  • Use a strong call to action: A clear call to action (e.g., "Submit Inquiry") can help deter spammers.
  • Implement rate limiting: Limit the number of submissions that can be made from a single IP address within a certain time frame. This can help prevent spam attacks.

6. Review your website's security:

  • Keep your website software up to date: Outdated software can have vulnerabilities that spammers can exploit.
  • Use a strong password for your website's admin panel: This will help prevent hackers from compromising your website and using it to send spam.

7. Reporting Spam:

  • Report spam to your email provider: This helps them improve their spam filtering.
  • Report spam to anti-spam organizations: There are organizations that track spam and help to identify spam sources.  

Which approach is best?

Using a contact form is the single most effective method. Combine that with server-side spam filtering and email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for a robust defense. If spam is still a major problem, consider a third-party spam filtering service. CAPTCHAs and honeypots are good additions, but they can sometimes be slightly inconvenient for legitimate users. Remember to regularly review and adjust your spam-fighting strategies as spammers constantly evolve their tactics.