What is the difference between spamming and phishing? A simple guide

Introduction to Online Threats, spam emails and phishing scams

In 2025, online threats have increased more than ever. Within the last year we have seen a rise in 350% of email based phishing scams looking to capture your sensitive data. Spam and phishing attacks are two of the most common ways to get this kind of sensitive information out of you. Knowing the difference between spamming and phishing emails is a key step in maintaining email security.

We've all been there. Your email inbox getting stuffed with spammy unsolicited messages. Or messages from unknown senders talking about your how your password has been reset. These kind of alarming messages can be a bit more targeted from platforms you actually do have an account with. When really it is just deceptive tactic to steal information.

With the right measures and awareness, you can stop these spam and phishing emails from ever turning into a substantial problem. Let's take a look at what these both mean individually to then differentiate between spam vs phishing.

Understanding Spam Emails

So starting with spam. Spam refers to these kind of unsolicited emails that are directed towards irrelevant or promotional comments. Spam emails often contain links to malicious websites, or can even just be unwanted messages trying to sell you something.

The big issue with spam emails is the effect they have on your inbox. They cause clutter, but generally are not that malicious. There are some spam emails that remain a malicious attempt to get you to click on a link or install malware. But this tactic is more rare than the more targeted form of Phishing.

So What is Phishing?

Phishing in general is an attempt to deceive you our of your personal information. This can be done in many ways, but in general email is one of the most popular. So what are phishing emails?

Phishing emails refer to the type of fraudulent emails that attempt to take your sensitive information. They are considered a form of cyber attack and generally are more malicious emails. So how does this usually appear:

There are many existing deceptive phishing tactics out there. All of which are designed to trick recipients into revealing personal information. Some will also send you an email authentication request, change password request or some other email with branding from a recognised platform.

For example social media accounts, like Facebook. You could get an email saying someone just logged into your Facebook account and you need to change your password. The email could look completely legitimate as if it came from facebook itself. They also will use pretty urgent language to get you to act before thinking. But if you check the sender email, it is something phishy. If you go in and change that password, enter in your login credentials, boom, they have your personal details.

The risks phishing poses are severe. You could give up access to your social media platforms, your credit card details or anything else. This can lead to networks security issues, identity theft or even financial fraud.

Examples of Phishing Emails and Scams

The most common type of these phishing emails are the ones that come from people impersonating legitimate organizations. They will generally use these brands with urgent requests to lure users into entering in sensitive information to their malicious sites.

For example the facebook one mentioned before. Or even a similar idea from your bank maybe saying "you just approved a £5000 transfer". The more dramatic, the more concerned you are. The more concerned you are, the more likely you are to rush through to check.

So you click on the link in their email, taking you to a fake website or installing malware that watches your pc input. And then they have you. For anything they want.

The difference between Spam and Phishing Emails

So now we know what both are. The difference should be fairly clear.

Spam and phishing emails are both unsolicited emails received by unknown senders. However the intention is different. Spam messages are usually for promotional content, to get you to visit a website, buy a product or service. Whereas phishing emails are malicious attempts to steal sensitive information.

In short, that is the difference between the two. Technology in a sense is it's own worst enemy, and that is why many people are coming away from email. Many people, especially in business contexts are looking at alternatives to email. Things like instant messaging platforms for businesses . Qwil being one example.

Recognizing Threats

The unfortunate reality is, we do still rely partially on email. So being able to recognize these threats is a key part of life in 2025. Phishing attempts and email spam are always going to be a thing. The most important thing is to think before you act.

When you see an email, it may not always be what it seems. To properly maintain email security you should always report emails that look suspicious. Also you can set up a filter so that more spam is taken straight to junk. It is quite easy to tell which emails are more promotional content.

Phishing emails also stand out tue to the urgent or threatening language used. A nice and straightforward way to avoid Phishing threats is to check the sender email address. Most of them will say they are from Facebook or Qwil, but actually come from "noreply@domainyouneverheardof.com". Be careful to not click on any malicious links within the email and you should be fine. Also always report these emails on whichever platform you use.

Email Security Measures

Email security is a huge part of the modern business. Spam filters are a good place to start. Making sure spam and phishing emails are mostly send directly to your junk. Also along side that a strong antivirus software to protect you from anything that does reach your inbox. Most email providers should catch the majority of spam emails anyway. Although this is getting harder and harder as email sending tech gets better. Identifying spam is no longer so easy.

You should also have some business email compromise measures in place to protect against phishing. As well as regular policy for things employees can and can't do on work PCs.

Phishing Work and Other Phishing Tactics

Email phishing is not the only way people can try to get your personal information. Maybe through promotional comments posted online, or through social media spam, you can be lead to a fake website where you enter your details. You can also receive phone calls, text messages and all other channels to catch you out.

Spear phishing is another type of phishing work tactic. It is highly targetted and generally will use a piece of information known about you. This can be a family member, a phone number or a bank account. There have been some really concerning examples of spear phishing. For example an elderly mother being called about her child being in the hospital. Or someone being send a confirmation text containing their own bank details saying they have approved a large transfer. Spear phishing emails can be hard to resist, but make sure you always check the facts.

Preventing Spam and Phishing Attacks

Once we accept that phishing emails and spam are a part of life. We need to consider how to prevent them. A combination of measures can do a great job at preventing anyone in your team, or yourself from revealing sensitive information.

Employee education is one of the first steps anyone should take. When it comes to spam vs phishing, at the core, they are the same. Suspicious emails from people you don't know. Once you recognize these, you need to report these as quickly as possible. If you know how to recognise and report them, you have gone a long way to preventing them.

Technical measures like spam filters, authentication protocols and even software solutions can prevent these from getting to you in the first place. If the possibility of a phishing attack is stopped, you have already gone a long way to preventing anyone from extracting sensitive information.

Employee Education and Awareness

Your employees should be aware of the risks of spam and phishing attacks. Making sure your staff know how to recognize suspicious emails and report them goes a long way. Providing regular training and updates on the latest phishing tactics will be a big help. Make sure your employees are cautious when receiving unsolicited email messages.

A trained and aware team is one of the most efficient ways to prevent data breaches. Make sure you always report suspicious emails!

Technical Measures to Prevent Spam Emails

As spam technology advances, so does anti spam technology. Spam filters are now stronger than ever. As they have to be. Implementing a strong spam filter will mean half of the work is done for you. If malicious emails go straight to spam, then your employees don't even have to deal with them. There is then no risk of those spam emails having a negative effect.

Email authentication protocols ensure that only legitimate emails can be received in your organisation. SPF, DKIN and DMARC records are critical for these protocols. They ensure that only verified emails actually make it to your inbox. Protecting you from spam emails.

There are also now so many automated tools that scan incoming emails and make sure that anything with spam email language goes straight to the junk folder where it belongs. These are one of the biggest leaps in email tech of late.

Incident Reporting and Response

Finally we are going to look at incident reporting. They are an essential measure in all business. Even with the most secure of email measures, the reality is, it is not a secure communication platform. Phishing attacks, suspicious emails, spam emails are just part of life. Especially when stuck in the old fashioned email hole.

Having proper policy in place to report phishing attempts, suspicious emails and incidents that occur can help you catch and reduce the negative impact of any data breach. If someone successfully gets their malware onto your device, your incident response strategy should help to contain it. Part of this is also regularly training your staff on what to do if this does happen.

How are companies solving these problems in 2025? And how does Qwil fit in?

The truth? People are moving away from email. Email is an outdated communication system. When was the last time you sent your friends an email? We have so many work place appropriate tools out there that can do the same job. At Qwil we recognized this issue a long time ago. That is why we built an instant messaging platform for businesses that does everything you could need. Not to work with email, but to replace it in day to day life.

You can chat, share documents securely, host video calls, request e-signatures and book appointments all in one easy to use platform. All of this with banking grade security. Everyone on Qwil is a verified user, with 2 factor authentication that has been invited by your business. So with Qwil, spam and phishing attacks are a thing of the past.

Ready to leave behind email? Get your Qwil free trial here