The Real Reason You Keep Getting Strange Emails and Notifications
Ever wake up to weird messages or emails from companies you’ve never heard of?
It’s not just you, and it’s not a glitch. There’s a reason why this keeps happening, and it’s a bit worrying.
Let’s make sense of this simply.
1. Your Email Got Out There
Most don’t realize this but, your email’s likely already floating around on the dark web.
When big companies get hacked – think Facebook or online stores – tons of emails get stolen. Then, hackers sell these lists to marketers and spammers.
That’s why you see:
- Strange newsletters
- Fake job offers
- You won! messages
- Random sales emails
Even if you never signed up.
Your info leaked > someone bought it > you’re on spam lists.
2. You Clicked Allow Without Thinking
You know those pop-ups that say, This website wants to send you notifications?
A lot of people accidentally click Allow.
Once you do, the site can send you:
- Fake sales pop-ups
- Clickbait articles
- Sketchy news alerts
- Scam warnings
These aren’t from apps, but from websites pretending to be apps.
The good news is, you can shut these off in your browser settings under Notifications.
3. An App Is Secretly Watching You
Some apps, mostly the free ones, watch what you do.
They grab:
- Your contacts
- Your location
- Your browsing history
- Your searches
- What apps you use
Then they sell it for ads. That’s why you see super-specific weird ads.
Like, you talk about wanting a dog collar, and your phone is already showing you ads for it.
It’s not magic, it’s tracking.
4. You Signed Up for Something, They Sold Your Info
Sometimes you type your email into things like:
- Free downloads
- Giveaways
- Job applications
- Random websites
- Wi-Fi login pages
They grab your email and sell it to companies.
Now lots of companies have your info, not just one.
5. Spammers Guess Emails Until One Works
Scammers don’t know you. They just try tons of email combos like:
- firstname123
- initials
- yourname01
- yourname999
If your email works, they add you to their spam list. That’s why some emails seem like they’re misdirected.
6. Your Social Media Is Public, and Bots Steal Info
If your Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok is public, bots can steal your stuff:
- Phone number
- Name
- Interests
- Friends list
Then they use it to send spam.
7. AI Makes Spam Easy (Future Problem)
Before, spammers wrote everything themselves. Now, AI can:
- Write millions of emails
- Use your name
- Copy real brands
- Get past filters
That’s why spam seems realer than before.
How to Stop the Spam
Here’s what you can do now:
- See if your email was leaked: Search Have I Been Pwned and type in your email. It shows where your email got out.
- Unsubscribe the right way: Go to the bottom of weird emails. If it looks safe, hit Unsubscribe. If not, just delete it.
- Turn off website notifications: Go to browser settings > Notifications > block anything you don’t know.
- Delete apps you don’t need: A lot of them grab your data all the time.
- Use a separate email for sign-ups: Have one main email and one junk email for discounts, apps, and websites.
Final Note
Spam emails and notifications aren’t random. They’re signs that your info is being used without you knowing it. You don’t need to be a tech expert, just knowing this stuff helps protect you.