How to Cut Down on Spam Calls, Texts, and Emails

Bright Concierge
Jul 18
5 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

Spam calls, texts, and emails overwhelm and irritate all of us. This article shares tools and habits that help sharply reduce how much phone and email spam communication we receive in the first place. We'll also learn what to do with spam we receive.

What is spam and why do we receive it?

Spam is any unwanted call, text, or email that tries to sell or promote something we did not ask for.

Spam builds up because our contact information gets shared behind the scenes. Here's how:

It’s common that we enter our email or phone number on a website in exchange for a coupon, discount, or special offer.

When we submit our email or phone number for any reason, the company may share or sell our contact information to marketing firms. This means those businesses may then contact us even if we have never engaged with them ourselves.

Example of an offer we might enter an email address for

How can we stop companies from contacting us via call, text, and email?

We can't stop the spam completely. But there are some things we can do to train the companies to not target us in the future:

Do not interact with messages from people or companies you do not recognize.
Let unknown calls go to voicemail unless expecting a call from a new number.
Ignore and do not reply to texts and emails that look suspicious or are clearly trying to sell something not requested

Each time we answer a suspicious call, reply to a strange text, or responds to a junk email, the spam sender learns that the address or number belongs to a real person, is active, and may be worth targeting again. Best practice is to not interact.

What is a burner email, and how can it help our inboxes?

A “burner” email is a spare email address we use only for situations where we need or want to enter an email, but we don’t really care about hearing from them later on. It’s helpful for things like sign‑ups, raffles, coupons, and other offers.

When you use this secondary email, ads and sales messages will land in that spare inbox instead of cluttering your main email. Your main email address will be preserved for messages from people and companies that matter to you.

A very easy way to get a “burner” email is to create a free Gmail address. You do not need to use your real name or birthday for this spare account, since it’s only for non-important messages.

Keep in mind, if you already have a Gmail address, you will need to sign out of the account you're logged into before you can create a secondary one. You will be able to easily access both.

Bright Concierge can set up a free secondary Gmail address for you. We'll write down the login information for you and test the email together, so you know how to check it when you want to.

What is a burner phone number, and how can it help reduce my main line's calls and messages?

A “burner” phone number is a spare phone number you can give to stores, services, and one‑time contacts instead of your main home or cell number.

Google Voice allows you to have a free, separate phone number that you can check whenever you want, but it's not built into your phone like your main line.

The calls and texts sent to your Google Voice number can be viewed on your computer or phone via the Google Voice website or in the Google Voice app for iPhone or Android.

You can have the new number stay quiet and hold alerts for calls, voicemails, and texts until you’re ready to check.

Bright Concierge can set up a free secondary Google Voice number for you and walk you through how to see calls and messages.

Is there a way to cut down spam calls on a landline?

Yes. Landlines often get a lot of robocalls and sales calls, but you can still reduce the noise:

Let unknown calls go to voicemail and call back only if the message is clear and from someone you trust.
Use a call‑blocker device. These small boxes can block many common spam numbers and calling patterns.
Some landline phones can screen calls by asking unknown callers to identify themselves and what they're calling for before they ring through. This can cut down spam calls from 30 or more a day to just a few.

If you’re unsure what options are available for your landline, Bright Concierge is happy to sit with you and explore them together.

How can email filters help you see less spam?

Email rules and filters are simple tools that help keep your inbox tidy, and once they are set up, they mostly work on their own. You can tell filters to look for certain words or senders and then automatically move those emails to a specific folder or send them to spam. This means fewer junk messages in your main inbox.

Filter ideas:

Move emails that say “sale ends tonight” into a “Promotions” folder.
Send emails that say “donation request” straight to spam if you do not want those.
Move newsletters you rarely read into a separate folder so they don’t mix with important messages.

Here are instructions on how to create rules to filter your emails with Gmail. Here are instructions on how to create filters to organize Yahoo Mail.

If you would like help setting up rules or filters, creating organized folders, or marking things as spam, contact Bright Concierge.

Let’s Recap

Spam is unwanted calls, texts, and emails that try to sell or promote things you did not ask for.
Companies often share or sell your email or phone number after you enter it for coupons, discounts, or sign‑ups.
Do not reply to messages from people or businesses you do not recognize
Let unknown calls go to voicemail. Only return calls if it's someone you know and trust, or a service you're expecting.
Ignore suspicious texts and emails and do not click links or respond to sales messages you did not request.
Use a “burner” email for raffles, coupons, and store sign‑ups so ads and marketing go to a spare inbox instead of your main email.
Use a “burner” phone number from a service like Google Voice for stores and one‑time contacts so your main phone number stays quieter.
Consider a call‑blocking device to reduce robocalls on a landline.
Some landline phones can screen calls by asking unknown callers to identify themselves and what they're calling for before they ring through.
Set up email filters so bothersome messages can be sorted or hidden.

By using these tools and habits, you can enjoy fewer interruptions, a quieter phone, and a more organized inbox. This makes it easier to focus on the calls and messages that truly matter.

If you would like help setting up spam protections for your phone or email, you are always welcome to call or email Bright Concierge. We can create a secondary email and phone number for you, review options to reduce unwanted calls on your landline, and show you how to organize your inbox so unwanted messages are filtered automatically. If you have any questions or would like a hand putting these tools into place, we are here for you.