Common Spam Email Subjects

Everyone is a victim of spam at some point. It doesn't matter if you got your email address two years or two days ago. Spammers are becoming increasingly savvy at creating unique email subject lines to catch people off guard. The problem with this is not only that you get flooded with spam. Just by opening an email your computer can acquire viruses, you can be subject to a phishing scam, or you can become the victim of a hijacked email address.

All of the threats you face with spam email vary from a mere nuisance to being blamed for sending spam and having your internet connection terminated by your internet provider. The key to reducing the amount of spam you are tricked into opening not only lies with having good spam blocking software, but with being able to identify potential spam messages.

This article will show you the most recent (as well as age old) common spam email subjects and also include a few extra tips for your safety.

According to McAfee, the top ten spam email subject lines received recently are:

1. .50 per pill %RND_WORD

2. Enjoy our summer discounts

3. Girls like that

4. The ability to eat smaller meals

5. Your Pharm4cy 0rder

6. Buy the #1 diet pill!

7. SuperStock Investor

8. Urgentemente! Aviso de seguridad!

9. Wassup

10. Make the Switch to Dish Network

Other frequently used email subject lines are:

RE: The information you requested, or other misleading remark. This line makes people think that they have already been in contact with the recipient of the email address. It simply implies that they are replying to an email sent by you.

Hey! or Hey there! This line makes people think that perhaps the recipient is a friend or at the least someone they know. People frequently change email address and this subject line relies on someone opening it anyway even if they have doubts, just to see if it is someone they have lost contact with.

Please confirm (various subject here). Believe it not, people still fall for this line. Every place you visit online will tell you that they do not and will not ask for your personal information via email, but people still get scammed by this one. If you have doubts, contact the website or organization it is suppose to be from and ask. They can always tell you if the email is legit or if it is spam.

None. Many people open these messages because they think that it doesn't fit the normal method of spammers. Spam normally contains obscure, curious subject lines so that you will be enticed into opening them. However, no subject at all is becoming increasingly popular.

Free (anything here). Who doesn't love free stuff? With websites everywhere touting free products, trials, and samples, this is an easy one to fall for. It all falls under the old adage - if it looks or sounds too good to be true, it is.

The tips for avoiding spam aren't that complicated. By adhering to the following tips you can avoid receiving more spam and hopefully rid your email address of any that you are currently receiving.

You may be enticed to click away on the unsubscribe link in spam messages but many companies advise against this. There are many programs available that will log your information if you click the unsubscribe link. You are showing them that you opened the message and were unsafe enough to click on links provided in the message. You can end up with more spam than before or viruses if you end up clicking on any links.

Set up more than one email account. Many internet providers allow you to have more than one email address, or you can always open a free email account with a free provider such as Yahoo, Hotmail, or AOL. Give your friends, relatives, and colleagues one email address and use the other for everything else. This way if someone obtains your email address you can always delete it and open another one without having to worry about the people you want to contact you not being able to.

Certainly the most practical tip is to not open email from anyone that you do not know. This can be a hard habit to break though. If you frequently sign up for newsletters, free sites, or enter contests, you may want to check each message to make sure you aren't missing anything. Odds are though, you aren't!

Make sure to check with your state on the laws regarding spam messages. Many have laws against deceptive titles and messages with malicious intent. Even if your state does not have any laws in place to protect you, make sure you report the spam so that the person behind it can hopefully be found and charged.