Spam junk mail. Computer artwork of multiple envelopes of junk mail. This could represent spam, the name given to unsolicited mass mailings sent by email. Recipients of spam often have their email address on a list with millions of other addresses. Most spam messages are written in a manner that conceals their true content to avoid anti-spam detection software. The term spam originates from a Monty Python TV sketch about the meat product SPAM. Spam is considered a nuisance and may even harbour viruses.