Learn what you can do to reduce unwanted messages and report the spam that still ends up in your inbox or text threads.
Transcription – Recognize and report spam
[A mobile phone animates on screen. Email message icon appears on the phone screen with a number indicating the volume of email messages coming in.]
Narrator: Is your inbox getting flooded with unsolicited emails?
[Text "THAT'S SPAM" animates on screen]
Narrator: That's spam!
[The screen on the phone transitions and random text spam messages pop up from unknown numbers. Text on screen: Click here now! Claim your prize! Limited offer!]
Narrator: Or, are you receiving text messages from unknown phone numbers?
[Text "THAT'S SPAM" animates on screen]
Narrator: That's spam!
[A series of four informatics images appear onscreen]
Narrator: Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, or CASL, is here to protect you from all forms of spam.
[Text animates on screen: Is it SPAM?]
Narrator: How can you tell if something is spam?
[Smartphone receiving text messages with scare tactics and asking for money. Text on screen: You owe money, pay now or police will be alerted!]
Narrator: it uses scare tactics, it asks for money
[A blue icon bar appears showing three animated icons and text: Unknown sender, asks for personal info, too good to be true.]
Narrator: You don't know the sender, you're being asked for sensitive or personal information or it seems too good to be true.
[Text "THAT'S SPAM" animates on screen]
Narrator: That's spam!
[The blue icon/text bar slides away]
Narrator: Even businesses you know can send you spam
[A web page opens on a computer screen. The website shows a "subscribe checkbox" that says: I subscribe to emails]
Narrator: So check if…
[Subscribe checkbox gets checked]
Narrator: You've consented to their emails
[Computer screen shows email inbox with an email message selected. Email is circled to highlight that the sender has identified themselves. Text on screen: Company X]
Narrator: They've identified themselves
[Unsubscribe link is selected. Text on screen: To unsubscribe, please click here]
Narrator: And they've included an unsubscribe mechanism.
[Pop-up messages appear on mobile phone along with a flashing caution icon. User swipes the pop-up message away]
Narrator: If spam has landed in your inbox, don't reply to it.
[A file attachment animates on the phone screen then the user swipes the attachment away. On-screen text: Do not open attachments or links from unknown senders.]
Narrator: Don't open any attached files.
[Mobile phone screen appears with text: Click to claim a prize!, which the user swipes away towards left.]
Narrator: And don't click any buttons to open web pages
[Email pops up on a computer monitor. User scrolls to the bottom of the email, circle appears to indicate there is NO unsubscribe link]
Narrator: Do look for an unsubscribe mechanism.
[Web page opens to Report spam. Checkmark appears on screen and selects "I agree"]
Narrator: And if there isn't one, then report it to the Spam Reporting Centre.
[A series of four informatics images appear onscreen. Text above "Canada's anti-spam legislation" text below "Fightspam.gc.ca"]
Narrator: Learn more and report spam at fightspam.gc.ca
[Canada wordmark appears]