What are the risks (if any) of opening a message that is in the Gmail SPAM folder? (This may be necessary to confirm is a message is legit, and should be moved to the Inbox).
Mona Barresi
One of the much touted features of the free Gmail email account is its spam filter which scans all incoming email. Any message that raises a red flag is automatically moved to the Gmail spam folder where it lies for a few days before being deleted permanently by the system. For details, read how does the Gmail spam filter work?
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Though pretty good, the spam filter is after all a program and, just like us humans, it can falter too. I’ve noticed that sometimes legitimate emails are tagged as spam and so I suggest checking the Gmail spam folder every-now-and-then. FYI, automated replies, messages with very large or multiple attachments, little or no text in the email body can trigger the spam filter.
Can you open an email that’s in the Gmail spam folder?
There is no risk in opening an email that lies in the Gmail spam folder ; in fact, from time you time, you might just need to do this to determine whether the message is legitimate. FYI, Gmail doesn’t allow emails with executable attachments – you can neither send nor receive an exe file. And cloaking it as a zip doesn’t work. But there is a nifty work around – read how to send an executable file (exe) via Gmail.
I also trust the Gmail service and am quite sure that their virus or worm detector will permanently delete any email that can harm their servers or my computer. However, I am not so confident regarding detection of phishing scams. And on this note, I suggest you don’t click on a link in any email message even if it ‘appears’ to come from the legitimate source. It may transfer you to a phishing web site or one that has malware.
Finally, you may be interested in knowing how to get a free Spam filter; using the Gmail spam filter for your other email accounts for free!
