Why you should never publish your email address on your website
In today's digital age, protecting personal information has never been more important. One of the most significant pieces of personal data that individuals and businesses should guard against public exposure is their email address. Here are several compelling reasons why you should never explicitly publish your email address on a website.
Spam and Unwanted Emails
One of the primary risks of publishing your email address is that it exposes you to an influx of spam. Spammers use automated bots to crawl the internet and harvest publicly available email addresses. Once your address is captured, it can result in countless unwanted advertisements and promotional emails flooding your inbox. This not only clutters your email but can also lead to difficulty in identifying legitimate communications.
Stop the SPAM bots!Phishing Attacks
Explicitly displaying your email address can also make you a target for phishing attacks. Cybercriminals may send emails that appear to be from legitimate sources - such as banks or online services - trying to trick you into revealing personal information or clicking on malicious links. By making your email publicly accessible, you inadvertently increase the chances of falling victim to such scams.
Incomplete Information
Direct emails often lack necessary details (e.g., phone number, full name, specific needs)
Solution: Use an Enquiry Form
A well-designed simple enquiry form on your website provides the following benefits:
- Your email address is not given away to spammers or cybercriminals
- A form can capture full contact details (First and Last name, Phone number etc.)
- You can choose to reply to the enquiry giving your email address and start an email thread
- If you receive a message that is obviously suspicious - you are in control not to reply and protect your email address
- The form can use an invisible CAPTCHA (no need to click on images of bridges!) to verify a human is sending the enquiry
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