Spam is any kind of unwanted online communication. Common types of spam The most common form is unwanted e-mail. You can also get: Text message spam — sometimes called smishing Instant message spam — sometimes known as spim Social networking spam Harmless vs. dangerous spam Some spam is annoying but harmless. However, some spam is part of an identity theft scam or another kind of fraud. Identity theft spam is often called a phishing scam. ...
If you suspect that you’ve responded to a phishing scam with personal or financial information, take these steps to minimize any damage. Step 1: Report the incident Contact the following authorities: Your credit card company, if you have given your credit card information. The sooner an organization knows your account may have been compromised, the easier it will be for them to help protect you. The company that you believe was forged. Remember to contact the organization directly, not through the e-mail message you received. In the United States, report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov and file a fraud report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report the phishing scam to the Anti-Phishing Working Group by forwarding the phishing e-mail message as an attachment to [email protected]. ...