You are browsing through free real estate listing websites looking for a new home and a certain property catches your eye. As soon as you click on it to find out more information, a pop-up window opens and asks you to register.
You create your account because you want to learn more about this place and it doesn't ask for any banking or credit card information, so you think you're okay. Little do you know, your information will be harvested and sold in batches to marketers.
You will start getting all kinds of emails, many filled with aggressive offers, since spammers now think you have money to spend. Depending of the kind of property you clicked on (price, region, etc) your personal info is customized into different categories and you’ll be bombarded with all kinds of junk.
How to avoid: be careful who you give your information to - sometimes the "unsubscribe" button won't stop the emails from pouring in.