Protect your inbox from spam and scams

Spam and scam emails are a daily reality for most business owners. You can’t stop them completely, but you can reduce how many get through and spot the dangerous ones before clicking anything.

Reduce the spam coming in

Most spam arrives because your address was harvested from a website, sold by a data broker, or leaked in a breach. A few habits keep it manageable:

• Don’t publish your email address as plain text on your website. Use a contact form instead.
• Uncheck marketing boxes when you sign up for things online — they’re often pre-ticked.
• Read the fine print on competitions or giveaways before entering.
• Don’t reply to spam. Replying confirms your address is active and usually results in more, not less.

Your email software also has tools to help: spam filters, blocked sender lists, and safe sender (allowlist) settings. Most work out of the box, but if a legitimate email keeps landing in junk, add that sender to your safe senders list.

Spot a scam email

Scam emails are designed to look urgent and official. Watch for:

• Urgency and threats. “Act within 24 hours or your account will be closed” is a pressure tactic, not a real deadline.
• Unexpected requests for money or passwords. No bank, government agency, or reputable business will ask for your password by email.
• Mismatched sender addresses. The name might say “ANZ Bank” but the actual address is something like info@random-domain.net. Always check the full address.
• Links that don’t match. Hover over a link before clicking — if the address shown doesn’t match the sender’s website, don’t click it.
• Poor grammar and spelling. Scam emails frequently contain errors that a real business would not send.
• Requests for gift cards. Any request to pay via iTunes or Google Play gift cards is a scam, every time.

Common scam types to know

Invoice scams — a fake invoice arrives, often made to look like it’s from a supplier you use. Always verify unexpected invoices by phone before paying.

Phishing — an email pretends to be your bank, the ATO, Australia Post, or a similar trusted body and asks you to click a link and enter your details. Go directly to the website instead of clicking the link.

CEO fraud — an email appears to come from your boss or business owner asking you to transfer money urgently. Call them directly to confirm before doing anything.

Domain renewal scams — an email claims your domain is about to expire and asks you to pay a “renewal” to an unrelated company. Check with us first — we manage your domain renewals.

What to do when you get a suspicious email

1. Don’t click any links or open attachments.
2. Don’t reply — even to unsubscribe, if it looks suspicious.
3. Mark it as spam in your email client so the filter learns.
4. If it looks like it’s from a real organisation (your bank, the ATO), go to their website directly or call their official number to check.
5. Delete it.

If you think a scam email slipped through and you clicked something or entered details, contact us straight away — help@jezweb.net or 1300 024 766. The sooner we know, the more we can do.