Reporting spam like this doesn’t “magically stop” attacks, but it does feed filtering systems and, in the long run, makes it a bit harder for the same spam pattern to hit others. It's a one-off thing everyone should do once, just to put a notch on the board.
Look for spam pretending to be from big names like Amex or Intuit, forward it, send it to the right spot, and you’re done.
- Find spam for big name brand like Amex, Intuit, etc
- Forward as attachment
- Send to correct address
- Done!
If it feels like a waste of time, your not wrong.
You didn't really do anything in the grand scheme of things, but this tiny win, even if you just do it once, is big, because it's one of those things you can say "Yea I did that before." or "Yea, I know...".
Sometimes you can't "Forward as attachment" because it's a security issue, so in this case you have to Open Source and Copy Header into New Compose
Tips
The “big orgs” (APWG, FTC‑style channels, spam‑filter vendors, RBLs, threat‑intel shops) and the scammers themselves all make money, just in different lanes of the same dirt‑road economy.
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SpamAssassin and mail filters are the best way to tackle spam if you don't want to have someone else do it for (outlook, gmail, etc)
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The more money there is, the more spam/phishing happens, and the more people spend to stop it.
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Scammers keep going because it’s cheap and profitable.
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How the “big orgs” (non‑scammer side) make money
- Email‑security and filter vendors
- RBL / DNSBL providers (Spamhaus, etc.)
- They collect phishing reports, correlate them, and then sell:
- Governments and companies pay
Misc.
What looks too be like an automated bot, is actually a job to someone.
A small win, to a never end problem...
Excellent