How To Spam Someone On Instagram? Top Answer Update

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To text bomb someone, which means spam their phone with messages, first select a friend from your contacts to prank. Then enter a random letter or emoji and click send. Keep typing the letter or emoji and send to spam your friend’s phone with dozens of messages. Alternatively, you can send a longer message, e.g. B. the lyrics of a song your friend hates or a funny message by texting word by word to keep his phone vibrating or alert him. If you want to send the same message over and over again, copy and paste the message and continue sending. For more tips, including when to time your text bomb, read on!

Nếu có tài khoản Instagram, bạn có thể báo cáo trang cá nhân hoặc nội dung trên Instagram không tuân thủ Nguyên tắc cộng đồng

Hiện tại, bạn có thể báo cáo bài viết vì bất kỳ lý do nào sau đây:

spam

Ảnh khỏa thân hoặc hoạt động tình dục

Biểu tượng hoặc ngôn từ gây thù ghét

Tổ chức nguy hiểm hoặc bạo lực

Hành vi bắt nạt hoặc quấy rối

Việc bán hàng hóa phi pháp hoặc thuộc diện kiểm soát

Vi phạm quyền sở hữu trí tuệ

Hành động tự tử/tự gây thương tích

Chứng rối loạn ăn uống

Hành vi lừa đảo hoặc gian lận

Thông tin sai sự thật

Bạn cũng có thể báo cáo trang cá nhân đăng nội dung không nên đăng, giả mạo người khác hoặc trang cá nhân của trẻ em dưới 13 tuổ. Tìm hiểu cách báo cáo binh luận hoặc cách báo cáo tin nhắn

Lưu ý rằng báo cao của bạn sẽ ẩn danh, trừ khi bạn báo cao vi phạm quyền sở hữu trí tuệ. Tài khoản mà bạn báo cáo sẽ không thấy ai đã báo cáo họ.

Có nhiều cách để báo cáo điều gì đó hoặc ai đó trên ứng dụng Instagram dành cho Android và iPhone:

Báo cáo bài viết thông qua Nguồn cấp dữ liệu Báo cáo bài viết thông qua Nguồn cấp dữ liệu Nhấn vào (iPhone) hoặc (Android) bên trên bài viết. Nhấn vào Báo cao. Làm theo hướng dẫn trên màn hình.

Báo cáo ai đó thông qua trang cá nhân của họ báo cáo ai đng qua trang cá nhân của họ nhấn vào tên người dùng của họ trên bảng tin, bài viết cót đoạn chat vớo. Bạn cũng có thể nhấn vào và tìm kiếm tên người dùng để đi đến trang cá nhân của họ. Nhấn vào (iPhone) hoặc (Android) ở trên cùng bên phải trang cá nhân. Nhấn vào Báo cao. Làm theo hướng dẫn trên màn hình.

Cũng có nhiều cách để báo cáo nội dung nào đó hoặc ai đó trên Instagram.com từ máy tính hoặc trình duyệt di động:

Báo cáo bài viết thông qua Nguồn cấp dữ liệu Chọn Báo cáo và làm theo hướng dẫn trên màn hình.

Báo cáo ai đó thông qua trang cá nhân của họ báo cáo ai đng qua trang cá nhân của họ nhấn vào tên người dùng mà bạn báo cáo trên bảng tin hoặc bà hoặ tin hoặt tên người dùng để đi đến trang cá nhân của họ. Nhấp/nhấn vào bên cạnh tên người dùng đó. Chọn Báo cáo người dùng, sau đó chọn loại tài khoản bạn muốn báo cáo và làm theo hướng dẫn trên màn hình.

Nế không có tài khoản instagram, bạn cóo cáo hành vi lạm dụng, spam hoặ điều gì khác không tu ủ nguyêêê foreng ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ ồ đi

Having your Instagram account hacked is a serious situation – there is no guarantee that you can recover a hacked Instagram account. And even if you eventually regain control, the account recovery process is time-consuming and frustrating.

Using Instagram to promote your business, sell products, and connect with your fans can mean missing access to a major social media channel for days. And since many hackers use Instagram account to scam other Instagram users, you risk losing trust of your audience.

It’s crucial to be proactive in protecting your account and knowing how to act quickly if hackers slip past your defenses.

Start with a strong password

Your childhood pet’s name paired with a ! and your area code may meet Instagram’s password requirements, but it’s far from being a strong password. If your password is easy to remember, chances are it’s also easy to hack.

Consider using password manager tools like 1Password and LastPass, which automatically generate random, complex passwords and store them in a virtual vault protected by encryption and multiple layers of authentication. All of this is a technical way of saying that your passwords are locked behind (virtual) doors that would make a pirated movie hacker sweat. Password managers are a win-win – you get strong passwords without having to remember a long stream of gibberish for every app or website you use.

Use two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication puts another barrier between hackers and your Instagram account. If someone gets your password and tries to log in from an unknown device or location, they’ll be asked to verify their identity with an authentication code.

To set up two-factor authentication, open your Instagram profile on mobile or desktop and go to Settings, Security, then Two-Factor Authentication. From there you can either select text messaging or an authenticator app.

To set up two-factor authentication on Instagram, go to Settings > Security > Two-Factor Authentication

Instagram recommends authentication apps like Google Authenticator or Auth0 as they are specifically designed for this purpose and are therefore more secure than text messages. Think of it this way: how many devices have access to your text messages? For example, if you’re an iCloud user, your text messages might also show up on your iPad or laptop.

Once you’ve chosen an authentication method, the app also provides several backup codes in case you lose access to your authentication method. Take a screenshot of your backup codes and save them in a safe place, e.g. B. a password-protected cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox.

Monitor third-party apps

Third-party access isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s important to keep an eye on which apps are connected to your Instagram account. To check if third-party apps have access to your Instagram, go to your Instagram settings, then Security, then Apps and websites.

To check third-party apps on Instagram, go to Settings > Security > Apps & websites

If you use a third-party tool for Instagram analytics or to schedule Instagram posts, you’ll see those connections here. When deciding whether or not to keep a connection, ask yourself: is this tool safe on its own, and does this connection help keep my Instagram account safe? For example, a Buffer connection allows you to give multiple people access to analytics and scheduling without ever having to share your Instagram password. Plus, Buffer supports two-factor authentication, so your Buffer account is secure as well.

Watch out for apps and websites that don’t require regular access to your account. It’s easy to use Instagram to log into another app or make a purchase and then forget you granted access. Make sure to check regularly to avoid piling up suspicious third-party apps and revoke access if in doubt.

Keep in mind that some third-party tools are inherently risky. For example, apps that use bulk automation, such as following/unfollowing accounts, pose both a security risk and a Terms of Service risk – Instagram flags accounts that use bulk automation and may shut them down.

Learn how to spot phishing messages

Phishing — deceptive communications designed to trick people into revealing sensitive information — is one of the most common ways to hack an Instagram account.

Phishers sneak into your DMs with official-sounding messages. Scammers often pose as an Instagram support account or Instagram copyright help and try to convince you that there is an urgent need to share personal information. Never reply to these messages and never click on links. The Instagram Creators account shared a warning about these types of DMs:

Emails from Instagram built right into the app are only an official way for Instagram to contact you. You can view your email by going to Settings, then Security, then Emails from Instagram, or check your inbox for emails from [email protected].

How to recover a hacked Instagram account

If you suspect that your Instagram account has been hacked, there are several steps you need to follow to regain control of your account.

Hackers usually change your password right away, but sometimes you get lucky and you can still access your account using a saved login. If that’s the case, change your password immediately and enable all of the security precautions we discussed in the previous section.

If you can’t sign in, check your inbox for an email from [email protected]. Instagram may contact you if suspicious activity is detected. If caught early, changes can be reversed.

You can also request a login link from Instagram by selecting “Help Sign In” on an Android device or “Forgot Password” on an iPhone. If the login link doesn’t work, you’ll need to request a security code. After that, Instagram will ask you to verify your identity by submitting a photo of yourself holding a piece of paper with the security code written on it.

Sounds pretty complicated, right? Unfortunately, the process is both complex and time-consuming. Instagram also does not guarantee account recovery, which is why we strongly recommend being proactive about the security of your Instagram account.

Managing Instagram requires good security measures

Don’t jeopardize your hard work with weak passwords or lax security. Set up your security measures early so you can focus on creating and sharing great content for your audience.

You and your team can manage your Instagram posts, stories, and analytics directly in Buffer without jeopardizing your Instagram account. Get started today with a 14-day trial.

Wondering how many reports does it take to ban an account from Instagram? It can be frustrating to report an Instagram account for breaking the rules and see that the account is still active. There is no specific number of complaints that will guarantee account removal – accounts are disabled due to multiple violation warnings. While Instagram keeps its termination thresholds private, this wikiHow article will teach you everything you need to know about how reports and violations can affect your Instagram account status.

SEMANTIC PUZZLES

Why is spam (that disgusting canned meat) called spam? It sounds like it has something to do with ham, but why the Sp-? Carmen Lichi, London It’s a contraction of seasoned ham. The next question is why unsolicited email is called spam. DP Morgan, Amsterdam NL Apparently it has something to do with American wartime cuts and SPiced hAM. I believe the name was coined in a competition at the factory that made it – from what we don’t know. Sean, Perth, Australia It stands for ‘seasoned ham’ and was a name suggested in a contest set up by the Geo. A. Hormel Company in 1937 to come up with a name for their new product, which they dubbed “The Miracle Meat” and marketed as a health food. Richard Thompson, Allerod Denmark It comes from seasoned pork + ham. Anna, Glasgow Scotland Isn’t it a contraction from SaltPorkandhAM? Mark Power, Dublin Hormel Foods, the makers of SPAM (note the capitalization) jealously guard their trademark. According to their own website, it was invented in 1937 and is a contraction of Hormel Spiced Ham and was the result of a contest with a $100 grand prize. Let’s just overlook the fact that it’s not exactly sharp by any reasonable standard, right? David Murray, Cambridge, UK SPAM is an acronym: Special Processed American Meat. Ben, London Quite simply, Specially Processed American Meat Danny, Manchester UK I have it from a good source (from a chef who works for the BBC) that spam is actually an acronym for Specially Processed Animal Meat – delicious! Leona, Stockwell, UK It is short for SPiced hAM. Paul Marshall, Cardiff, UK In response to DP Morgan’s question as to why unsolicited email is classified as spam. Before the Internet was commercialized and unsolicited commercial email was sent, spam was the name given to sending the same email multiple times without a valid reason. This was due to the Monty Python “Spam, Spam, Spam” sketch. Stuart, London Why unsolicited email is called spam is because its ubiquity is reminiscent of the meat mentioned in Monty Python’s “Spam Song” Gareth Owen, Knutton Staff’s Spiced Ham, everyone has pointed out. As for DP Morgan’s question about email-type spam, which derives from Monty Python’s spam spam and spam sketch (early computer nerds are big Python fans), presumably because if you look for nutritious Search emails in your inbox, all you find is spam. John, Wellington, New Zealand SPiced hAM maybe, but Slimy handles anemic mucus properly. Mark, Bristol UK I was looking at a tin of Spam in my local supermarket last night and under the word ‘Spam’ it said ‘Spiced Ham’ in small letters. Did the original questioner ever think to look at the label on the stuff? Justin Rigden, Adelaide Australia Who should know better than producer Hormel Foods, the makers of SPAM? According to their website, it was invented in 1937. That should settle the question. But I happened upon the UK reality show about the 1940’s wartime house. You mentioned that SPAM stands for “Specially Processed American Meat”. I think to the people of the UK during the war that is what SPAM meant, which is a very accurate description, and there is nothing wrong with that. The letters S.P.A.M. lend themselves to some amusing phrases. I also want to mention that not much of the pig (or cow) is wasted. Ground beef products like sausage, pot beef, and SPAM are usually made from the less appetizing (inherently) cuts of meat. But after grinding and adding spices, they turn out to be quite tasty. Products like SPAM have been of great use in situations where proteins and fats, which are the most important nutrients for survival in the short term, were scarce. I remember eating similar ham products in the form of C rations and MREs during my time in the military. Lots of food in a small space. John Reynolds, Del City, Oklahoma, USA Abbreviation for “spiced ham” Cooky-Boy, Doncaster UK I always thought that spam was introduced to Britain during WWII and stood for specially processed American meat. Ianmitchell, Callander, Scotland. I know the meaning of SPAM (Specially Pressed American Meat). I hate to say it, but it took a Devonshire Dumpling to give you the answer. It was made for war. Phil Edwards, Exeter, UK During World War II meat was difficult to transport to Britain in the usual way and a longer route had to be taken, but the German U-boats destroyed it. The meat was processed and canned and labeled as “Specially Pressed American Meat”. It lasted longer at sea and didn’t need to be refrigerated or salted. Bob Muir, Mount Isa Australia As a Yank, I found your answers amusing, but SPAM is primarily spiced ham and saved much of the world (including the British and Russians) from starvation in WWII. It’s not off-putting when cooked properly, and may I suggest that something like Vegemite is off-putting, like a paste of quasi-vegetable by-products that you spread on your toast for breakfast. Sounds good right? Richard, Sandy Hook, US {in true Monty Python fashion} Spam is actually Bruce! (Watch this now) Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, Bruce… Thomas Dalimonte, Nashua, USA Extracted from the makers of SPAM websites. What does the brand name SPAM® mean? There are some questions that keep plaguing people over time. Questions like ‘Is there intelligent life beyond Earth?’ And ‘What does the brand name SPAM® mean?’ Unfortunately we cannot answer both. There has long been speculation about the meaning of the SPAM® brand name. A popular belief holds that it derives from the words “seasoned ham”. Others think it’s an acronym for “pork shoulder and ham.” Only a small circle of former Hormel Foods executives know the real answer. And probably Nostradamus. So all of these made-up aconyms are just guesswork, because nobody but the man who came up with the name Ken Daigneau really knows if it means anything at all. Ian Mayor, Manchester England

Add your answer

If you are reading this article, your Instagram account has probably been blocked and you cannot follow, like or comment on other users. In this case, you will see the message “Action blocked” when you try to perform any of these actions. However, it is fundamentally different from “Instagram lock” which does not allow you to log into your account.

The question is, why does Instagram prevent its users from performing certain actions at certain times? How to avoid getting banned? And how to unblock your Instagram account? Here we will fully talk about this topic and answer two main questions:

Why does Instagram suspend an account? How can you unblock your Instagram account?

So, if you have faced this problem, read on.

Why does Instagram suspend an account?

Instagram is rigid in many cases; especially if he believes an account is spamming (i.e. creating useless information, harassing other users, or even creating fake accounts). It’s so rigid that it even bans accounts that look like spammers. By blocking, we mean restricting a user’s access to actions such as commenting, liking, and following other users.

So the rule of thumb here is to avoid doing too much activity to get more new followers and sending too many messages that might bother other users.

Note that Instagram automatically detects violations.

Therefore, sometimes your account gets blocked due to some minor or unintentional error. The worst thing is that there is no way to find out the reason for your account being banned. Instagram neither warns the user nor explains the reasons to its users.

As you can see, a small mistake can get you banned without knowing the reason! But no worry! In this article, we are going to talk about different reasons for getting banned and also the ways to get your account unbanned.

You may have seen this error when trying to log into your Instagram account:

“Instagram account is currently blocked, please go to Instagram app or website to solve the problem.”

You may encounter some other issues that you think an action is blocked, such as: B. Instagram DMs not working. However, many of these problems are related to Instagram errors, not your account.

Why did Instagram ban my account?

First, let’s take a close look at the reasons why Instagram might block you. By reading these reasons, you can avoid getting banned and rest assured that this type of problem will never arise with your account. If your Instagram account has already been blocked, find the reason below and go to the next part to unlock your Instagram.

Instagram is down

You may see this error: “Instagram account is currently suspended. Please go to the Instagram app or website to fix the problem.” due to new Instagram updates. So, to make sure Instagram is down, you can go to downdetector.com tool and check if Instagram is down right now. If you see Down status, it’s better to wait a few hours or days and then try again.

You broke Instagram rules

Ignoring Instagram rules is another reason for blocking. Read Instagram’s policies to make sure your activities don’t violate their rules. If your account is new, Instagram has blocked your account from further actions.

You liked a bunch of posts at once

Liking too many other Instagram posts can also get them blocked from Instagram. Instagram considers it spamming since some people want as many posts as possible for people to notice. According to Instagram rules, you can like a maximum of 350 photos and videos in one hour. We strongly recommend observing this rule.

You have exceeded the number of the following people

Following too many accounts is also considered spam activity and, in turn, Instagram would consider you a spammer. If you’ve been following too many people lately, this could be the reason. From now on, don’t follow more than 20 people in an hour. Also note that you can follow a maximum of 7500 people; So don’t be in a hurry to follow other users.

They behave like a bot (repeating actions)

If you use repetitive posts, emojis, and comments, Instagram will block you as soon as it finds out and won’t let you post or comment; but how long? Nobody knows!

According to other users who have had similar experiences, if you received the action blocked message, Instagram can block you for a few hours to even a few weeks.

You’ve mentioned others too many times

The other reason that can cause Instagram to get blocked is mentioning other users too much. Don’t mention other users very often in your posts and comments. Again, this is a matter of repetition and overuse. This is especially important when mentioning people who are not in your “followers” list. Refrain from doing this as much as possible if you want to protect your account.

They use third party bots or apps to get followers or likes

You probably know that there are bots that follow other users, like their posts and leave comments on them on behalf of your account. For example, one of these bots is the Instamber bot to increase the number of followers. Although these bots are very effective to increase your follower count, it is better to use them properly; You must be careful when using them.

To make sure Instagram doesn’t block you for using bots, there are two things you need to keep in mind. When running a bot, first limit its activities (e.g. 15 or 20 likes seem good for a certain amount of time). Second, choose a bot that performs a variety of tasks like a real person. These two features have been incorporated into the Instamber bot.

You do not have enough posts in your Instagram account

You may have recently created an account, but now you can’t like or comment on a post. The reason is that since you don’t have a post in your account yet, Instagram would consider you a fake user. So make sure you post some photos on your profile. 10 posts might be good to start with. DO NOT post them all at once, instead post them one at a time over time.

Your biography is not complete

Haven’t filled out your profile information yet? Does your account not have a profile picture or bio? If this is the case, Instagram can consider your account as a fake user and block it. In order to unblock your Instagram account as soon as possible, you need to complete the information in your profile.

You have published too many posts in a Raw

do you post sequentially So, this could be the reason why you get blocked on Instagram. Instagram considers accounts that publish too many posts in a limited period of time as spammers and may block them. A simple fix is ​​to have a schedule and avoid over-posting.

My Instagram Account is Temporarily Banned (How to Unban it)

When Instagram blocks you, it takes 3 hours to even 4 weeks to unblock your account. Yes, it’s too long, so follow the above rules to avoid getting banned. But how can you speed up your account unlocking? To do this, you need to send a request to Instagram to verify your account again. As? Below we will introduce some methods to connect to Instagram.

Use Instagram “Tell Us”

If you get the message “Action blocked”, it means that your Instagram account is temporarily blocked. Press “Tell Us” to ask Instagram to unblock your account.

Most likely, after you click “Tell Us”, Instagram would like to ask you via your email to complete security information and then ask you to send your own photo to ensure that you are a real user. After sending the photo to Instagram, your account will be activated after a few days.

Report the blocked action to Instagram

Press the “Option” or “Setting” button on your Instagram profile (the icon in the top right corner of the screen), then scroll down and press “Report a problem”. Here you can report various issues to Instagram. From the available options, press “Something isn’t working”. Now fill out the form with an unlock request, mention that you are a real person and press submit.

Other Methods to Unblock Instagram Account

Edit your Instagram bio. Uninstall and reinstall Instagram on your phone. Note that you need to back up your information before uninstalling Instagram. And finally, the safest thing is to be patient. Instagram itself will unblock you after a while.

We have listed all the situations that can cause Instagram blocked and also provided some solutions to unblock your Instagram account. We hope you find them helpful. Please let us know in the comments section below if you found this article useful or have any other questions related to the Instagram ban.

If you break one or more of Instagram’s rules, your page will be shadowbanned, which is one of the penalties. So you will be blocked for a certain period of time so that you cannot be found in your followers’ feed.

How to prevent Instagram from getting a shadow ban?

If Instagram bans you, none of your posts will appear on the explorer page, nor in any of the hashtags.

Maybe you are using unofficial Instagram apps that break the rules. To be safer, download and install the official apps from credible stores. They don’t take into account Insta’s daily and hourly restrictions. Although these limitations may be different for everyone, publicly the limitations are as follows:

150 likes per hour

60 comments per hour

60 follows and 60 unfollows per hour

If you try to permanently ignore these restrictions, Insta can penalize you.

3. If you use unrelated hashtags or hashtags related to spam or illegal content, you will soon be penalized and this will decrease your page’s engagement rate.

4. Another reason would be Instagram users reporting you. It can be the number one reason that causes Instagram penalties. Try to avoid posting content that will lead users to report you.

Important note: Recent research shows that the main reason Insta blocks an account is to break the hourly restrictions and that is why many people try to use Insta automation tools to check these restrictions. So if you are using an Instagram bot, note that the bot should have the filter to check these restrictions and do not use any tools or bots without the above filters.

Current examples on the web: nouns

Musk pokes fun at spam accounts, but most people who follow this truly bizarre corporate drama agree that the bot problem is little more than an excuse for Musk to back out of the deal, which Twitter at 54, 20 per share overvalued. — Allison Morrow, CNN, July 19, 2022

Chancellor McCormick did not address whether the case would require an investigation into Twitter disclosures about spam accounts. – Dave Michaels, WSJ, July 19, 2022

Musk has vowed to finalize the deal in contracts his team says are now void because Twitter withheld key information about the level of spam and fake accounts on its service. – Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, July 18, 2022

The invitation, which covers the entire purchase agreement dated April 25, fully reproduces correspondence between Musk’s law firm and Twitter via fake and spam accounts. — Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, July 18, 2022

Morningstar analyst Ali Mogharabi noted that Twitter has described its estimate of fake and spam accounts in regulatory filings for years, while explicitly stating that the figure may not be accurate given the use of data sampling and interpretation. — Barbara Ortutay, ajc, July 11, 2022

Twitter has claimed for years that spam and bot accounts make up less than 5% of its active user base. — Todd Spangler, Variety, July 11, 2022

Musk had in recent weeks threatened to back down from his bid to buy Twitter – which was approved by the company’s board of directors in April – over concerns about fake and spam accounts on the platform. — Madeline Halpert, Forbes, July 11, 2022

Twitter has claimed for years that spam and bot accounts make up less than 5% of its active user base. – Todd Spangler, Chicago Tribune, July 11, 2022

Current examples on the web: Verb

But what Google didn’t mention during the keynote was how some companies are abusing a feature of RCS to spam Google Messages users with ads. — Jacob Siegal, BGR, May 18, 2022

Other options, probably an auto-loading rocket launcher to spam between grenade throws. — Paul Tassi, Forbes, May 29, 2022

Twitter has a long history of fighting fake, spam, and bot accounts, some of which used to spread misinformation and abuse. — Jason Abbruzzese, NBC News, May 13, 2022

Undoing these efforts would undoubtedly bring more hate, misinformation, propaganda, harassment and spam back to the platform. – Scott Nover, Quartz, April 14, 2022

After Yang arrives amid the rise of AI celebrities, helpers, and companions spamming our social media platforms and rapidly filling Metaverse worlds. – Andrew R. Chow, Time, March 31, 2022

The purpose of renaming larger groups is not only to preserve and spam the community that already exists, but also to appear higher in Facebook’s search and recommendation bar, which helps lend credibility to the curious. – NBC News, February 12, 2022

Average villains in DL2 are never smart enough to force players to do more than spam the most powerful, obvious options, or avoid combat altogether by either sneaking or running away. – Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, February 2, 2022

And there are people who just spam group invites or page invites. — Wired Staff, Wired, Oct. 15, 2021

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What does :F mean?

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Key Points Summary Drooling is the most common definition of :F on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. :F Definition: Drooling Type: Icon Guess:

4: Hard to guess Typical users:

Adults and Teens “Drooling” is the most common definition for Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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:F means “drool”. You know what that means now, but are you good at Cyber ​​Speak? Alright, let’s check!

Lately I’ve been getting multiple Instagram messages almost every day. Also, random accounts are watching my stories. At first I was surprised! Wow! How many fans do I have? And it brought me to the dreamland of a popular celebrity! Then I saw that they were all Instagram spam messages and fell off the pinnacle of pride! I report them all, but they keep going. I wish I could mass delete my Instagram messages!

Instagram is a fast-moving social media and you may face more Instagram message request spam as your account grows. Therefore, it would be great if you managed your Instagram message requests.

If you are pissed off by repeated Instagram spam messages, calm down and read this article to learn how to spot and stop them.

How to recognize Instagram spam messages?

With the growth of Instagram DM bots, there are many fake accounts that send Instagram spam messages. If you want to identify the sender of Instagram spam messages, knowing a few signs will help you.

1. No posts or profile pictures

Most fake Instagram accounts have weird usernames. These Instagram bot accounts usually have few or no posts. Also, some of them don’t have a profile picture and just write a few details in their bio or leave it blank. In many cases, they don’t have many followers. So if you receive a large number of Instagram message requests from these accounts, it is spam.

2. Spam and irrelevant comments

Because Instagram bots aren’t smart enough to understand a post’s context, they leave irrelevant comments. For example, you may have noticed someone commenting under a funeral post, “It’s amazing”! Or we’ve all seen many ads under a disturbing post. These fake Instagram comments bots can send you Instagram spam messages. So if you get a lot of spam comments from one account, there is a high possibility that they are fake.

3. Low retention rate

All Instagrammers do their best to increase their engagement rate because this is the metric Instagram uses to measure you to get your post out there. However, many fake Instagram accounts have low engagement rates because they buy numerous followers. So when you check their posts, you don’t see any appropriate interactions. You can tell by some likes and comments under each post. For example, if you see 10-20 likes for an account with 20,000 followers, it must be a bot.

4. Low followers to followers ratio

Many Instagram bots increase the number of followers by using the follow-to-follow strategy. Therefore, a low follower-to-following ratio indicates that the account is likely fake and not real. If you monitor their followers, most of them are inactive accounts or fake.

That said, I recommend you use the best Instagram analytics tool to rate their accounts.

You just have to go to the website and enter the username and you will get all the information you need about the account.

How can I stop receiving Instagram spam messages?

It’s no fun receiving frequent Instagram spam messages and identifying them among the various DMs we receive on a daily basis. Here I have compiled the solutions to stop receiving Instagram spam messages all the time.

#1 Turn into a private account

If your account is private, nobody can send you Instagram messages. Remember to set your DM to private in your Instagram account privacy settings. So if you set your DM to public, anyone can send you an Instagram spam message. In this case, you will only receive DMs from the users who send private messages on Instagram and you will never receive spam messages again. However, this will block you from receiving other valuable messages from public and unfollowed accounts.

#2 Block and report

If you want to stop someone from sending you messages or message requests, you can block them or report their profile. In fact, Instagram has provided you with an account reporting feature for the following reasons:

I don’t like the content

Suicide,

self-harm or eating disorder,

Sale of illegal or regulated goods,

nudity or sexual activity,

hate speech or symbols,

violence or dangerous organization,

bullying or harassment,

intellectual property infringement,

fraud or scam

Wrong information

Therefore, you can just block the account and then report it.

Block the account

To block someone else’s Instagram, follow these steps:

Go to her Instagram page. Press the three dots at the top right of the screen. Select “Block”. The question “Block…?” will appear on your screen. Tap Block again.

report account

Follow these steps to report someone’s Instagram:

Same as going to her Instagram page. Select the three dots at the top right of the screen. Tap Report. Choose why you want to report the account. Then tap Report.

This is an excellent opportunity to get rid of Instagram spam messages. Remember that unless you are reporting an intellectual property infringement, your report is anonymous. The account you reported doesn’t see who reported it. However, it’s time-consuming to block and report every single message you receive on a daily basis.

#3 Disable new message requests to stop spam messages

This is a feature available for business accounts. So, to stop receiving notifications for direct message requests from Instagram, follow the steps below.

Open the Instagram app. Go to settings. Select “Notifications”. Select Direct Messages. Select the “Off” option under “Message Requirements”. You can also stop notifications for group requests.

However, by disabling this feature, business marketers can lose a lot of useful ads and messages that can help them grow their business.

#4 Only allow people you follow to add you to DM groups

To stop Instagram spam, you can only allow people you follow to add you to DM groups. However, this is only available for business accounts.

Therefore, on your phone, go to your Instagram and then:

Click on “Settings”. Then select Direct Messages. Here you can change the default setting of “Allow others to add you to groups” to “Only people you follow” instead of “Everyone on Instagram”.

#5 Manage your Instagram messages via DMpro

DMpro is an Instagram direct message app that allows you to:

Send automated DMs to your target followers.

Send bulk PMs to the Instagrammers you’re talking to.

With DMpro you can easily sort and filter your Instagram DMs and customize your private messages.

To manage your Instagram DMs and stop Instagram spam messages, all you have to do is:

Sign up for free . Add your Instagram accounts (up to 30 accounts). Click “DM to Email” to manage your Instagram messages. Select the accounts you want to receive notifications of their Instagram message requests in your email. Select Active and click Save.

Final Thoughts

Instagram spam messages are a nuisance. However, with an Instagram DM manager, you can easily monitor and manage your Instagram messages. This is the best way to stop Instagram spam messages.

A favorite among influencers and brands, Instagram brought together almost 1.3 billion monthly active users in 2021. With a predominantly young audience, the social network, founded by Mike Krieger and Kevin Systromn and later acquired by Facebook, now tends to be a widespread online scam. Find out how to spot these scams and protect yourself with our guide to fake Instagram accounts and other social media scams.

What types of scams are there on Instagram?

81% of account owners say they use Instagram to find new products and services. For cyber criminals, Instagram is just another online space where they can spread scams. The most common scams found on the platform tend to be:

phishing . This often comes in the form of a private message from an account you’ve never interacted with before, asking you to click a link. The point here is to get your private data (e.g. your login data) via a virus attached to the link – and then hack your account.

. This often comes in the form of a private message from an account you’ve never interacted with before, asking you to click a link. The point here is to get your private data (e.g. your login data) via a virus attached to the link – and then hack your account. False offers for brand collaborations. So-called “brands” sometimes send fake offers of cooperation to influencers with the aim of getting their bank details. Sometimes this type of scam also looks like an offer to take part in a survey or contest in order to trick users into clicking on an external link.

. So-called “brands” sometimes send fake offers of cooperation to influencers with the aim of getting their bank details. Sometimes this type of scam also looks like an offer to take part in a survey or contest in order to trick users into clicking on an external link. Fake contests, fake offers of competitively priced loans and other “miracle” investments, job offers that seem too good to be true, and attempted credit card fraud. These scams follow the same principle as fake collaborations – they trick victims into thinking they’ve won a prize or perk. Once again, scammers are actually trying to get people’s money or personal information.

. These scams follow the same principle as fake collaborations – they trick victims into thinking they’ve won a prize or perk. Once again, scammers are actually trying to get people’s money or personal information. emotional cheating. This type of online scam is very common and exists well beyond Instagram. The tactic is to connect with someone and build a sense of trust and closeness. The cybercriminal then asks for money to help with an emergency, such as getting a visa, paying for a trip to visit a loved one, or helping their family.

In most of these cases, the users are contacted through a fake Instagram account. This is why knowing how to spot a fake account is so important – so you can protect yourself from it.

How do you know if an Instagram account is fake?

Do you have doubts whether this Instagram profile is real or not? Here are a few pointers to help you spot a fake Instagram account:

The account follows significantly more accounts than it has followers – or it has no followers and does not follow anyone

Your profile description seems too vague

The account has no profile picture

The account has published few or no posts

The posts are mostly about promotions or “raffles”.

The account claims to be a celebrity but there is no blue tick next to their profile

The account name looks like other existing accounts, but some characters or letters have been changed

The account name seems strange

Many cyber criminals use fake Instagram account generators. Because their goal is to create hundreds of accounts in a short amount of time, they don’t have time to tweak or curate them. Given that, it’s usually easy to spot fake accounts if you look closely.

Identity theft on Instagram

Thanks to phishing, it’s all too easy for scammers to collect enough information about you — including your name, surname, photo, date of birth, password, or email address — to steal your identity and create an account that passes as such yours. This is known as identity theft.

The main purpose of identity theft on Instagram is to scam the followers of the person whose identity the cyber criminal has stolen. This is why it is so important to report these fake accounts so the platform can remove them quickly.

If you receive a private message from someone impersonating a person or brand, asking you to click a link – by all means, don’t click it. Instead, check the profile for signs of fraud and try to contact your friend or the brand in some other way to make sure it really is their account.

Safety at N26 Your safety is our priority. Arm yourself with our tips to protect yourself online. i am ready to act

How to Report and Delete Fake Instagram Account

Here are the steps you can take to report a fake Instagram account:

Click on the profile

Click on the three dots on the right

Select Report and then follow the instructions

You can also email Instagram at [email protected]. Don’t worry, reports are always anonymous, so your identity will not be revealed to the owner of the fake Instagram account.

However, note that in order for an Instagram account to be deleted or for content to be deemed inappropriate, the account must be in violation of the Community Rules. These include:

Sharing Unwanted Content

Posting images of a sexual nature

Spread hateful/racist/violent ideas or symbols

engage in bullying or harassment

Sale of illegal goods

Intellectual Property Rights Infringement

Sharing content related to suicide or self-harm

Instagram’s teams will then review whether the reported account violates the Terms of Service. You can take a variety of actions, ranging from a “shadowban” (limiting the account’s visibility) to deleting a post or the account itself.

How to report identity theft on Instagram

Only the identity theft victim can report this to Instagram. To do this, you must fill out this form. You will be asked to enter your name, email address, the name of the fake account and provide a photo of your ID and a description of the situation. You will then receive a confirmation email. After that, the Instagram team will verify the identity – which can take several days or weeks – before deleting the account.

Additionally, just like on Facebook, you can also file an identity theft complaint on Instagram. Identity theft is a criminal offense (§ 226-4-1 StGB) and is punishable with one year imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros. The law specifies: “This crime is punishable by the same penalties if it is committed on a public online communication network.” The penalty for identity theft on Instagram is therefore the same as for “traditional” identity theft.

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How to recognize N26 Instagram account

With online fraud on the rise again, N26 is keeping an eye on social media, especially Instagram. As with many brands, malicious individuals can impersonate us and follow you if your Instagram account is public – and if your account is private, they can follow you or send you a direct message.

First, note that N26 will never private message you on Instagram out of the blue unless you have asked us for assistance. As explained above, caution is key in all your social media interactions. We recommend staying alert and never clicking on links sent from suspicious accounts.

N26 has an official Instagram account in France: @N26FR, verified with a blue tick. The account has numerous followers and all content posted is consistent with our branding and identity. We’ve been posting regularly since June 2019 when we created our Instagram account.

Note that the only other accounts we have are our English and Italian accounts @N26 and @N26IT.

So, if a fake Instagram account is impersonating us, see if:

It was just created

It has very few followers

It publishes posts that get few likes or comments

Content is posted that doesn’t meet our design standards

The posts are full of errors and/or rare

It advertises too good to be true offers for loans or investments

If you have seen such an account, be careful. And if in doubt, report the account to Instagram.

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms these days. No wonder it has attracted cyber criminals as it has a huge user base. With so many users on the platform, it is easy for criminals to launch phishing attacks. This puts you at risk of being hacked via Instagram DMs (direct messages).

Phishing occurs when someone tries to access your Instagram account by sending you a strange message or link requesting personal information. These messages can also indicate that your account will be suspended or terminated if you don’t follow their instructions. If you open a link that was sent to you, you risk losing your data or your entire account.

Can you get hacked via Instagram DM?

One of the famous recent Instagram DM scams is based on a phishing message. The user will receive a DM in Instagram pretending to be from Instagram itself. The user will receive a copyright notice asking them to take immediate action.

After clicking on the provided link, the user is redirected to a fake website. And when the user enters information, it is sent to the attacker.

If you create online material, even if you’re just a casual blogger or social media user, you surely know how easy it is for people to steal your work and pass it off as their own. We do not discuss legitimate means for others to promote your work, such as B. Links, shares and retweets. We’re talking about someone else openly scratching, duplicating, or republishing your original work as if they developed it themselves without asking permission.

At the same time, you’ll find how easy it is to be accused of copyright infringement despite constantly using third-party material in compliance with the original creator’s license terms. Several social media platforms have formalized mechanisms for registering complaints and contesting takedowns.

This type of phishing uses well-known social engineering principles. If a user does not “enter” and clicks the link at the bottom of the message, the account will be terminated. The link does not take you to a Facebook-affiliated website and can be exploited to steal your personal information.

How to protect your Instagram account

Several Instagram Security Checkup features are available today. The new features will help users protect their Instagram accounts. Security Examination guides users through account security procedures.

This approach includes reviewing sign-in activity, evaluating profile information, verifying accounts that share usernames and passwords, and updating account recovery contact information such as phone number or email address are all part of the process. Security Checkup is a great tool to make Instagram accounts as safe as possible.

However, while basic cyber hygiene is a must, we recommend taking additional steps to make your account even more secure. Organizations can take various measures to combat both phishing and spear phishing attacks, but how secure the account is depends on how the end user protects themselves.

Tip #1 – Configure two-factor authentication

2FA (one-time codes used in conjunction with a password) makes it harder for hackers because your password alone is no longer sufficient to gain access to your account. Since two-factor authentication (2FA) provides an additional layer of verification when accessing sensitive apps, it is the most effective strategy to combat phishing operations. Even if your password is somehow compromised, two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security.

When you log into your account, several concepts are used to identify yourself when 2FA is enabled:

Something you know e.g. a password or username, and something you have, e.g. B. a smartphone with a code generation application

Even if your credentials have been compromised, 2FA will prevent hackers from accessing the system as it alone is not enough.

Although 2FA is a major security improvement, you must use a strong password created according to best practices.

It’s also important to change your passwords regularly and not use the same password across multiple apps.

If you enable two-factor authentication on Instagram, you will be notified when someone tries to enter a password from an unknown device or internet browser. These notifications inform you of the device that was able to register and its location. You can accept or decline the request from any of your previously registered devices. At any time, you can see a list of devices that have recently logged into your Instagram account by going to Settings, Security, and Login Activity. If you don’t recognize a recent sign-in, sign out of that location or device and send us an email to let us know it wasn’t you.

Tip #2 – Remain critical of messages you receive

Recently there has been an increase in fraudulent accounts where users were DMed to obtain sensitive information such as account passwords. Maybe they can tell you that

Your account has been deleted

You violated Instagram’s intellectual property standards

Photos of you have been illegally shared

These emails are usually hoaxes aimed at compromising your account. Instagram will never send you a direct message. The Instagram intervenes when one or the other situation arises.

If Instagram wants to contact you about your account, they will do so using the email address your account uses. This is the only way you can be contacted by the Instagram administration.

If you receive a phishing message, you should report int and suspend the account.

Conclusion

Phishing is the most common method criminals use to steal your identity and personal accounts. All it takes is a report and a negligent act. So that your account is stolen. As we explained in the article, you can get hacked through Instagram DM.

To protect yourself from criminals, you need to be careful about which links you click on. You must also remain suspicious of any message that asks you to “act immediately.” This is especially important if you receive a DM on Instagram.

Instagram will never send you DMs.

You must also take other measures to increase the security of your IG account. Passwords should be changed regularly. It is also advisable to use multi-factor authentication for your accounts.

What comes to your mind when you think of spam? Miracle pills from internet pharmacies, money demands from “princes” in other countries or food spam after all? This article is all about spam with a small “s”. While many people enjoy food spam, nobody wants to be tricked into losing money or downloading malware because of the other type of spam.

Spam is annoying, but it is also a threat. While many of us think we’re smart enough to spot any form of it, spammers regularly update their methods and messages to trick potential victims. The reality is that we are all under constant attack from cybercriminals and the proof is in your inbox.

So read on to learn what spam is, how to spot it, and how to protect yourself against it.

Spam Definition

Spam is any type of unwanted, unsolicited digital communication that is sent in bulk. Spam is often sent via email, but it can also be spread via SMS, phone calls, or social media.

What does spam stand for?

Spam is not an acronym for a computer threat, although some have been suggested (e.g. dumb, pointless, annoying malware). The inspiration for using the term “spam” to describe unsolicited bulk mail is a Monty Python sket in which the actors explain that everyone has to eat the food spam whether they like it or not. Likewise, unfortunately, everyone with an email address has to be plagued by spam messages, whether we like it or not.

If you are interested in the origins of spam in detail see the History of spam section below.

types of spam

Spammers use many forms of communication to send their unsolicited messages in bulk. Some of these are marketing messages peddling unsolicited merchandise. Other types of spam messages can spread malware, trick you into giving out personal information, or scare you into believing you have to pay to get out of trouble.

Email spam filters catch many of these types of messages, and phone companies often warn you about the “risk of spam” from unknown callers. Whether it’s via email, SMS, phone, or social media, some spam messages get through and you want to be able to spot them and avoid these threats. Below are different types of spam to watch out for.

Phishing Emails

Phishing emails are a type of spam that cyber criminals send to many people hoping to ‘hook’ a few people. Phishing emails trick victims into revealing sensitive information such as website logins or credit card information.

Adam Kujawa, Director of Malwarebytes Labs, says of phishing emails: “Phishing is the simplest type of cyberattack, yet it is also the most dangerous and effective. That’s because it attacks the world’s most vulnerable and powerful computer: the human mind.”

Email Spoofing

Fake emails mimic or spoof an email from a legitimate sender and prompt you to take action. Well-executed spoofs contain familiar branding and content, often from a large, well-known company like PayPal or Apple. Common email spoofing spam messages are:

A payment request for an outstanding invoice

A prompt to reset your password or verify your account

Review of purchases that you have not made

Request updated billing information

Tech support scam

In the case of a tech support scam, the spam message indicates that you have a technical problem and that you should contact tech support by calling the phone number or clicking a link in the message. As with email spoofing, these types of spam often claim to be from a big tech company like Microsoft or a cybersecurity company like Malwarebytes.

If you think you have a technical problem or malware on your computer, tablet or smartphone, you should always go to the official website of the company you want to call for technical support to find their legitimate contact information. Remote tech support often involves accessing your computer remotely to help you, and you don’t want to inadvertently give that access to a tech support scammer.

Scams at current events

Hot topics in the news can be used in spam messages to get your attention. In 2020, when the world was facing the Covid-19 pandemic and the number of home office jobs was increasing, some scammers were sending out spam messages promising remote jobs paid with Bitcoin. That same year, another popular spam topic related to small business financial relief, but the scammers ended up asking for bank account details. News headlines can be memorable, but beware of potential spam messages.

Advance Fraud

This type of spam is probably familiar to anyone who has used email since the 90s or 2000s. Sometimes referred to as “Nigerian Princes” emails because for many years this was the supposed sender of the message, this type of spam promises a monetary reward if you make a cash advance first. The sender usually states that this cash advance is some sort of processing fee or serious money to unlock the larger sum, but once you pay they go away. To make it more personal, in a similar type of scam, the sender pretends to be a family member who is in trouble and needs money, but unfortunately when you pay, the result is the same.

Malspam

Short for “malware spam” or “malicious spam,” malspam is a spam message that delivers malware to your device. Unsuspecting readers who click a link or open an email attachment end up with some sort of malware, including ransomware, trojans, bots, info-stealers, cryptominers, spyware, and keyloggers. A common delivery method is to insert malicious scripts into a known attachment such as a Word document, PDF file, or PowerPoint presentation. Once the attachment is opened, the scripts run and fetch the malware payload.

Spam Calls and Spam SMS

Have you ever received an automated call? This is call spam. A text message from an unknown sender asking you to click an unknown link? This is known as SMS spam or “smishing,” which is a combination of SMS and phishing.

If you’re getting spam calls and texts on your Android or iPhone, most major carriers give you the option to report spam. Blocking numbers is another way to combat mobile spam. In the US, you can add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry to try to reduce the number of unsolicited sales calls you receive, but you should still be on the lookout for scammers who ignore the list.

How can I stop spam?

While it’s not possible to completely avoid spam, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from falling for a scam or being phished by a spam message:

Learn to recognize phishing

We can all be victims of phishing attacks. We may be in a hurry and click on a malicious link without realizing it. When a new type of phishing attack comes out, we might not spot it right away. To protect yourself, learn to look for some key signs that a spam message isn’t just annoying, it’s a phishing attempt:

Sender’s Email Address: If an email is legitimate from a company, the sender’s email address should match the domain of the company they claim to represent. Sometimes these are obvious, like [email protected], but sometimes the changes are less obvious, like [email protected] instead of paypal.com. Lack of Personal Information: If you are a customer, the company should have your information and likely address you by your first name. A lack of a personal greeting alone isn’t enough to spot a phishing email, but it’s one thing to look for it, especially in messages that say they’re from a company you do business with. Receiving an email saying your account has been suspended or you owe money is a cause for concern, and sometimes we quickly click a link to fix the problem. If it’s phishing, that’s exactly what the sender wants. So be careful and check if the email is generic or specifically addressed to you. Links: Beware of all links, including buttons, in an email. If you receive a message from a company that you have an account with, it’s a good idea to log into your account to see if there’s a message there, rather than just clicking the link in the message without signing to verify beforehand. You can contact the company to ask whether a suspicious message is legitimate or not. If you are in doubt about a message, do not click any links. Grammar mistakes: We all make them, but a company sending legitimate messages is unlikely to have many punctuation errors, bad grammar, and misspellings. This can be another warning sign that the email might be suspicious. Offers that are too good to be true: Many phishing messages pretend to be from large, well-known companies in hopes of enticing readers who happen to be doing business with the company. Other phishing attempts offer something for free, like cash or a coveted prize. The adage is often true, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and this can be a warning that a spam message is trying to get something from you instead of giving you something. Attachments: Unless you are expecting an email with attachments, always be careful before opening or downloading it. Using anti-malware software can help by scanning files you download for malware.

You can read even more about phishing emails and how to spot them on the Malwarebytes Labs blog.

report spam

Email providers have gotten pretty good at filtering out spam, but when messages reach your inbox, you can report them. This applies to spam calls and text messages, as many carriers also give you the option to report spam. You can also block the sender, often in the same step as reporting the message.

Reporting spam can help your email or phone provider better identify spam. When legitimate emails are sent to your spam filter, you can report not to mark them as spam and this also provides useful information about what shouldn’t be filtered. Another helpful step is to proactively add senders you want to hear from to your contact list.

Use two-factor authentication (2FA)

With two-factor or multi-factor authentication, cybercriminals cannot bypass the additional authentication requirements associated with your account, even if your username and password are compromised through a phishing attack. Additional authentication factors are secret questions or verification codes sent to your phone via SMS.

Install cyber security

In the event that you click on a bad link or download malware that was spammed to you, good cybersecurity software will detect the malware and shut it down before it can harm your system or network. With products for consumers and businesses, Malwarebytes has you covered wherever technology takes you.

Latest news on spam

history of spam

The story of spam begins in 1864, more than a hundred years before the Internet, with a mass telegram to a number of British politicians. As a prescient sign of the future, the telegram was an advertisement for teeth whitening.

The first example of unsolicited email dates back to 1978 and the precursor to the Internet – ARPANET. This proto-Internet spam was an advertisement for a new computer model from Digital Equipment Corporation. It worked – people bought the computers.

In the 1980s, people came together in regional online communities called Bulletin Boards (BBSes) run by hobbyists on their home servers. On a typical BBS, users could share files, post messages, and exchange messages. During heated exchanges online, users kept typing the word “spam” to drown out one another. This was based on a 1970 Monty Python sketch in which a couple eat at a workers’ café and realize that almost everything on the menu contains spam. As the woman argues with the waitress about the predominance of spam on the menu, a Viking choir drowns out the conversation with a song about spam.

The use of the word “spam” in this context, meaning loud annoying messages, caught on – much to the chagrin of Hormel Foods, the maker of spam.

Over on Usenet, a progenitor of the Internet that functions much like today’s Internet forums, “spam” was used to refer to excessive posting across multiple forums and threads. The earliest Usenet spam contained a fundamentalist religious tract, a political tirade about the Armenian Genocide, and an advertisement for green card legal services.

Spam only started in earnest with the rise of the internet and instant email communication in the early 90’s. Spam reached epidemic proportions with hundreds of billions of spam emails flooding our inboxes.

In 1999, Melissa, the first virus to spread via macro-enabled Word documents attached to email, was unleashed on the digital world. It spread by searching victims’ contact lists and spamming itself to everyone the victim knew. Melissa ended up causing $80 million in damage, according to the FBI.

In the absence of anti-spam legislation, professional spammers rose to prominence, including the self-proclaimed “spam king” Sanford Wallace. True to his nickname, Wallace was once the biggest spam sender of email and social media spam on sites like Myspace and Facebook.

It wasn’t until the early 2000s that governments around the world began to look seriously at regulating spam. In particular, all member countries of the European Union and the United Kingdom have laws restricting spam. Likewise, in 2003, the United States enacted a series of laws cheekily dubbed the CAN-SPAM Act (once again, Hormel just can’t take a break). These US and foreign laws restrict the content, sending behavior, and compliance of all opt-out emails.

At the same time, leading email providers Microsoft and Google have been working hard to improve spam filtering technology. Bill Gates famously predicted that spam would be gone by 2006.

Under these laws, a rogue gallery of spammers, including the Spam King, have been arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned for planting penny stocks, fake watches, and questionable drugs on us. In 2016, Sanford Wallace was found guilty, sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay hundreds of thousands in reparations for sending millions of spam messages on Facebook.

And yet spam is still a thing. I’m sorry Bill

Despite the best efforts of legislators, law enforcement agencies, and technology companies, we still battle the scourge of unsolicited, malicious email and other digital communications. The fact of the matter is that the spam business requires little effort for the spammers, few spammers actually go to jail and there is a lot of money to be made.

In a joint spam study by the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, San Diego, researchers observed a zombie botnet in action and found that the operators of the botnet sent 350 million emails over the course of a month. From those hundreds of millions of emails, the spammers made 28 sales. This is a conversion rate of 0.00001 percent. That being said, if spammers continued to send spam at this rate, they would collect $3.5 million in a year.

So what exactly are the types of spam that continue to fill our inboxes to the brim, and what can we do about it?