No party for this birthday: Spam turns 30

WHEN YOU GET SPAM: Spam is a term used to describe unwanted, unsolicited emails that flood our inboxes daily.

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New Delhi: Here's a word on spam the unwanted e-mail that clogs your inbox. It has been 30 years since it's been around.

According to statistics, 80 per cent to 85 per cent of all e-mail is spam and there are over 100 billion of them sent everyday.

And it is now an underground industry. Statistics gathered by the FBI say 75 per cent of net scams trap people through junk e-mails.

Spam is deliberately malicious today with criminals even stealing bank account information through it.

In 2007, Indian Government declared that as much as 76 per cent of e-mails originating from India are spam mails, although the country accounts for only one per cent when compared with top 25 spam-producing nations.

The number of people who are snared by online dupers through such mails is also on the rise. And that's why the Department of Information Technology is planning to introduce Section 40 of the IPC in the IT act.

According to this, duping people through such emails may be considered an offence and non-compliance may land you in jail for at least six months.

It will not be easy to introduce the IPC section. That's why DIT is seriously considering opening a Do Not Mail registry.

But since most of the spam and junk mails come from abroad. It will not be easy to bring it under the purview of Indian laws.

Next Page: IBNLive.com brings you the essential spam alert guide. How to spot a spam scam and how to save yourself from it