Spam, hoaxes and scams

Spam is unsolicited commercial email. The most common types of spam concern prescription drugs, enhanced body parts, get rich quick schemes, financial services, easy qualifications etc.

A hoax or scam is an email that warns you about an unlikely-sounding new virus, offers you something such as a free mobile phone or asks you to update your bank account details. They are commonly referred to as Page-jacking, Phishing, and Chain letters.

To reduce the amount of SPAM reaching your mailbox, ICT has implemented software called Sophos PureMessage. PureMessage is a mail-filtering program that all incoming and outgoing email messages pass through. The PureMessage filter looks for certain message characteristics and performs actions on the message when these characteristics are found.

Reporting Spam

Spam can occasionally get through the anti-spam filter. The best course of action is to report the spam directly to Sophos as soon as possible. Sophos will analyse submitted spam samples and adjust the spam filtering database to improve detection accuracy.
 
All spam samples need to be forwarded to: is-spam@labs.sophos.com

  • Spam samples need to be forwarded as an attachment. Please refer to the instructions below to forward email as an attachment.
  • E-mail subject is not required.

Forwarding an e-mail as an attachment:
 
Outlook 2010
1. Highlight the message that you want to forward.
2. Under ‘Home’ tab, click on 'More' and then click on ‘Forward as Attachment’

Outlook Web App (OWA):
1. Highlight the spam sample(s) that you want to forward
2. Right Click and click ‘Forward as Attachment’

How to reduce unwanted email

  • Never make a purchase from an unsolicited email.
  • Never respond to spam or click on links inside it.
  • Don't use the "preview" mode in your email viewer.
  • Never provide your email address on the internet.
  • Use the "bcc" field if you email many people at once.
  • If you don't know the sender delete the email.

Further assistance

For further information on spam and viruses Sophos have produced an information booklet titled Viruses and spam: what you need to know [PDF 1.3MB]