What is Yahoo!'s anti-spam and abuse policy?
Yahoo! is committed to preventing spam and abuse. Learn more about Yahoo!'s official spam and abuse policy.

Yahoo! Communications
Yahoo! hates junk mail as much as you do and so we only send you messages (for example, emails about Yahoo! products) when we have your permission to do so, or if we need to send you an important service message (for example, changes to your account). Every single message from Yahoo! will tell you why you�re receiving it and will always give you the option to unsubscribe simply and easily (except for service messages which we have to send you).

Sometimes we may run competitions on behalf of a third party or provide services jointly with a third party. In such circumstances we may pass your details on to them, but only with your consent. Finally, we never sell, lend or rent your personal details to third parties and do our utmost to protect them: find out more about how we protect your privacy by reading our Privacy Policy.

What is spam?
Spam is like junk mail, only rather than through your letterbox, you receive it in your email inbox. More technically, spam is any message or posting, regardless of its content, that is sent to multiple recipients who have not specifically asked to receive it. Spam can also be multiple postings of the same message to newsgroups or list servers that are not related to the topic of discussion. Other common terms for spam include unsolicited commercial email (UCE), unsolicited bulk email (UBE) and junk mail.

Web sites that are less reputable or have privacy policies that are less strict may sell your email address to spammers. Those who send spam have usually purchased a list of email addresses from these web sites. They send messages from numerous different - and often falsified - addresses to all areas of the Web, which makes them hard to track.

Why am I getting spam?
Spammers send unsolicited email with the hope that you will buy their products or services - it's the same concept as junk mail delivered to your house. Since it is very inexpensive to send an email, spammers can afford to send millions of them, even if only a small number of people respond by purchasing their products.

What is Yahoo! doing to fight spam?
Yahoo! have developed tools to help prevent spam, more information on these can be found here.

What is a "phishing" scam?
Phishing is a type of online fraud where the perpetrators attempt to acquire personal, financial, and/or other account information (such as user IDs, passwords, credit card numbers, PINs, etc.) from unsuspecting victims. This type of fraud is typically initiated by sending an unsolicited but official-looking email claiming to be from a reputable company, such as a bank, a credit card firm, or an online establishment. The fraudulent email usually contains an urgent message that tries to lure the recipient into providing sensitive information.

To avoid being victimised by phishing scams, below are several useful tips:

Do not respond to emails asking for any personal or financial information.
Legitimate companies will never ask you to verify or provide any confidential information in an unsolicited email.

Be cautious when clicking on links within a suspicious email.
Most phishing emails contain a link that leads to an official-looking web page which requires the recipient to log in or enter some personal information. Though the web page may contain official logos and look exactly the same as the legitimate company's web site, any information submitted via these spoofed web page(s) will be sent to the perpetrators of the scam.
If you have any doubt regarding the authenticity of a web site you have been directed to in an email, we strongly recommend that you open a new browser and type the known URL of the company in the browser yourself, or call the company directly via telephone.

Never log in or enter private information in a pop-up window.
Clicking on links within phishing emails may direct your browser to a legitimate web site while, at the same time, opening another pop-up window wherein you are asked to enter your information. This makes it appear like the pop-up window is part of the legitimate site when, in reality, it is not.
(Note: Yahoo! offers a Pop-Up blocker in our free Yahoo! Toolbar that blocks most unwanted pop-up windows from appearing.)

Be alert for suspicious emails. It is easy to forge an email and make it appear as if a legitimate company sent it. When dealing with emails that pertain to information that is sensitive in nature, it is best to err on the side of caution. Below are a few signs indicative of phishing emails:

Urgent account notifications that are not addressed to you personally but which require action on your part relating to your account(s).
Customer notifications that contain incorrect spelling or poor grammar.
Account/billing email notifications from credit card firms or other financial institutions that do not reference the last few digits of your account number, or that contain no specific details pertaining to your account/billing information or activity.
Account notifications that are delivered to your Bulk Mail folder.
(Note: While we do our best to deliver legitimate email to your Inbox, we may occasionally deliver legitimate email to your Bulk Mail folder. We encourage you to check your Bulk Mail folder periodically for legitimate email and, as always, practice caution when dealing with questionable or suspicious emails.)

What do I do if I get an email asking for my personal information?
If you have received a phishing email asking you to verify and/or provide information regarding your Yahoo! account, please forward the email to mail-spoof@cc.yahoo-inc.com. We will investigate the email and take appropriate action.

If you have received a phishing email referencing a non-Yahoo! website, email address, or service, we encourage you to report such incidents to the appropriate provider or company involved. They will be in a better position to take appropriate action.

Print this page