If you run an e-commerce business, email is one of your most powerful tools. It connects you with customers, drives sales, and builds brand loyalty.
But here’s the problem—cybercriminals know this too.
That’s why inboxes are flooded with phishing and spam emails designed to trick, scam, and exploit both businesses and their customers.
Understanding the difference between phishing vs spam isn’t just about avoiding annoying emails. It’s about protecting your brand’s reputation, customer trust, and revenue.
Let’s break it down and look at the seven critical differences between phishing vs spam in the context of e-commerce email marketing.
Phishing vs Spam and Their 7 Key Differences
Here are the 7 differences between phishing vs spam that every email marketer must know:
1. Phishing Emails Are Malicious—Spam Emails Are Just Unwanted
Spam emails are like that pushy salesperson who won’t leave you alone. They clog up inboxes with unsolicited promotions, but they’re usually harmless. Think of spam as those random discount emails from a store you visited once and never signed up for.
Phishing emails, on the other hand, are dangerous.
These emails disguise themselves as legitimate messages from trusted brands. sometimes even yours. It aims to steal sensitive information like passwords, credit card details, or login credentials.
Imagine this: A customer receives an email that looks exactly like one from your store. It says, “Your payment failed! Click here to update your billing details.”
If they click and enter their info, a scammer now has their credit card number—and they might blame you for the fraud.
2. Phishing Emails Try to Steal Data—Spam Emails Try to Sell Something
Spam emails are usually just aggressive marketing tactics. They promote products, services, or even fake giveaways—but they don’t necessarily try to steal from you.
Phishing emails, however, use deception to get valuable data.
They might:
- Fake an order confirmation and ask for your login details.
- Pretend to be a payment processor requesting updated banking info.
- Impersonate a shipping carrier asking for sensitive tracking details.
For e-commerce brands, this is especially dangerous. Phishing scams targeting online shoppers can lead to chargebacks, fraud disputes, and a loss of trust in your business.
3. Phishing Emails Look Real—Spam Emails Look Like Spam
You can usually spot a spam email a mile away. Bad grammar, weird fonts, and over-the-top claims like “LOSE 50 POUNDS IN 5 DAYS!!!” make them easy to ignore.
Phishing emails, however, are crafted to look legitimate.
They might:
- Use your brand’s logo and colors.
- Copy your email layout and fonts.
- Include fake order numbers and tracking links.
Here’s an example:
Legit email from your store: “Your order has shipped! Track your package here.”
Phishing email: “We encountered an issue with your order. Please confirm your payment details immediately.”
Notice the difference?
One provides helpful info, the other creates urgency to trick the recipient into acting fast.
4. Phishing Emails Create Urgency—Spam Emails Are Annoying but Not Urgent
Spam emails are like background noise. You ignore them, delete them, and move on.
Phishing emails, however, use psychological tricks to create urgency:
For example:
🚨 “Your account will be suspended if you don’t update your billing info NOW.”
🚨 “We detected suspicious activity on your login. Click here to verify.”
Scammers often send fake emails pretending to be customer support, tricking customers into giving away personal data. If your customers fall for it, it damages trust—and they might even stop shopping with you.
5. Spam Emails Go to Junk—Phishing Emails Try to Bypass Filters
Most email providers have powerful spam filters that send obvious junk straight to the spam folder.
But phishing emails? They’re sneakier.
Scammers use tactics like:
- Spoofing sender addresses to make it look like emails are from real companies.
- Using trusted domains (like Google Drive links) to avoid detection.
- Mimicking internal emails so they seem legitimate to employees.
6. Spam Emails Can Be Legal—Phishing Emails Are Always Fraudulent
Believe it or not, spam emails aren’t always illegal. Many businesses send bulk promotional emails without breaking any laws—though they can still be annoying.
Phishing, however, is straight-up fraud.
It violates data protection laws like:
- GDPR (for European customers)
- CAN-SPAM Act (in the U.S.)
- CCPA (for California residents)
If a phishing attack impersonates your brand, it can lead to lawsuits, lost revenue, and PR nightmares.
7. Spam Annoys Customers—Phishing Can Ruin Your Brand’s Reputation
Spam is an inconvenience, but phishing is a full-blown crisis.
Receiving too many promotional emails might frustrate your customers, leading them to unsubscribe or mark your messages as spam.
But phishing attacks go beyond annoyance—they can permanently damage your brand’s reputation.
If cybercriminals impersonate your e-commerce business in a phishing attack, customers who fall for the scam will associate the breach with your brand. They might believe you were responsible for the fraud, even if you had nothing to do with it.
This loss of trust can lead to decreased customer loyalty, negative reviews, and even legal consequences. Recovering from a phishing-related reputation hit isn’t easy—once customers lose confidence in your brand, it’s incredibly difficult to win them back.
Best Ways to Avoid Phishing vs Spam
Protecting your e-commerce business from phishing and spam requires a mix of employee awareness, email security measures and smart marketing practices.
Here’s how you can stay safe:
1. Train Your Team to Recognize Threats
Your employees are your first line of defense. Train them to spot phishing emails by looking for red flags like:
- Suspicious email addresses
- Urgent language demanding immediate action
- Poor grammar and typos
- Unexpected attachments or links
2. Use Strong Authentication Methods
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – This adds an extra layer of security to email and payment accounts.
- Use DMARC, DKIM, and SPF Records – These email authentication protocols prevent scammers from spoofing your brand’s emails. Learn more from Google’s guide to email authentication.
3. Invest in Advanced Email Security Tools
Spam filters and anti-phishing tools block malicious emails before they reach your inbox.
Consider using:
- Barracuda Email Security – Excellent for filtering out phishing and spam emails.
- Proofpoint – Protects against targeted email attacks.
- SpamTitan – An effective spam filter for e-commerce businesses.
4. Verify Suspicious Emails Before Clicking
Before clicking any link in an email, hover over it to see the real URL. If something feels off, go directly to the company’s website instead of clicking.
5. Keep Your Email List Clean
- Remove inactive subscribers to improve your sender reputation.
- Avoid purchasing email lists—these often contain spam traps that can get you blacklisted.
- Use a double opt-in system to confirm new subscribers are real people.
Best Tools & Software to Protect Your E-Commerce Store
Beyond email security, some tools help protect your online store from fraud and cyber threats.
- Cloudflare – Protects against phishing sites that try to mimic your store.
- LastPass – Helps secure employee passwords and prevent credential theft.
- Norton 360 – Includes phishing protection and secure browsing tools.
- Shopify Fraud Protect – Prevents fraudulent transactions and chargebacks for Shopify stores.
Phishing vs Spam Attacks: Common Signs
How to Spot a Phishing Email
- The sender’s email doesn’t match the company’s domain.
- The email contains urgent language (“Your account is at risk!”).
- It asks you to click a link to verify your account.
- The message includes unexpected attachments.
- The email has poor grammar or spelling mistakes.
How to Identify Spam Emails
- The subject line looks clickbaity (“You won a free iPhone!”).
- The sender’s email is from a random Gmail or Yahoo address.
- The message contains irrelevant promotions or fake contests.
- It encourages forwarding to multiple people.
Stay Ahead of Email Scammers
In e-commerce, email marketing is essential—but so is email security.
Knowing the difference between phishing vs spam can save your brand from fraud, chargebacks, and reputation damage.
Here’s what to remember:
Spam emails = Annoying, but not always harmful.
Phishing emails = Dangerous, designed to steal information.
Educate your team and customers to stay ahead of scammers. Want to make sure your e-commerce emails are safe, effective, and high-converting? Let’s talk.
