Email Aliases: The Spam-Blocking Hack Every Australian Needs in 2026

My inbox used to be a disaster zone. Fourteen years of signing up for newsletters I didn't read, creating accounts for services I used once, and giving my email to every shop that asked at the checkout. I was receiving 200+ emails daily, 90% of it garbage. I finally learned that email aliases Australia‑style—unique forwarding addresses for every service—are the spam-blocking hack I should have adopted years ago.

The breaking point came when Woolworths had a data breach. Within weeks, I was getting phishing emails pretending to be from my bank, myGov, and even Australia Post. My real email address was out there, being passed around the dark web like a stolen Tim Tam at morning tea.

Then I discovered email aliases. Game. Changer.

What Are Email Aliases?

An email alias is a forwarding address that delivers messages to your real inbox without revealing your actual email address. Think of it like a PO Box for your email—you give out the PO Box address, but mail arrives at your real address.

Here's the magic: if an alias starts receiving spam, you just delete it. The spam stops immediately, and your real email address stays clean.

I now have over 50 aliases. My doctor has one. Each online shop has its own. Streaming services, newsletters, forums—they all get unique addresses. When my Netflix alias started getting spam (after their data incident), I deleted it, created a new one, and updated my account. Problem solved in two minutes.

Why Every Australian Should Use Aliases

We Australians love our online shopping. We sign up for loyalty programs, enter competitions, and create accounts for everything from Bunnings to The Iconic. Each signup is a potential data breach waiting to happen.

Consider this:

• The Iconic breach (2022): Customer emails and partial credit card data exposed
• Optus breach (2022): 9.8 million customers affected
• Medibank breach (2022): Personal data of 9.7 million people stolen
• Latitude Financial (2023): 14 million customer records compromised

In every case, email addresses were part of the stolen data. With aliases, you minimise the damage.

How to Set Up Email Aliases (The Easy Way)

Option 1: Gmail Plus Addressing (Free, Limited)

If you use Gmail, you already have basic alias capability built in:

1. Add a plus sign and any word to your email address
2. yourname+shopping@gmail.com forwards to yourname@gmail.com
3. yourname+banking@gmail.com forwards to yourname@gmail.com

Pros: Free, instant, no setup required Cons: Smart spammers know to remove the plus sign; doesn't work everywhere

I used this for years before upgrading. It catches maybe 70% of cases—better than nothing, but not perfect.

Option 2: iCloud+ Hide My Email (Best for Apple Users)

If you pay for iCloud+ ($1.49/month for 50GB), you get "Hide My Email"—Apple's alias service.

How to use it:

1. iPhone: Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Hide My Email
2. Tap "Create New Address"
3. Give it a label (e.g., "Woolworths Rewards")
4. Copy and use the generated address

You can create unlimited aliases. They forward to your real iCloud address and appear in your regular Mail app. You can also disable or delete aliases anytime.

Pros: Integrated into iOS/macOS, unlimited aliases, very private Cons: Requires iCloud+ subscription, only forwards to Apple email addresses

This is what my wife uses. She loves how it appears automatically when she's filling out forms in Safari.

Option 3: Proton Pass (Best for Privacy)

Proton Pass includes an excellent alias service. I'm using this now as my primary solution.

How to set up:

1. Sign up at protonpass.com (free tier available)
2. Install browser extension and mobile app
3. When signing up for something, click the Proton Pass icon
4. Select "Create alias"—it generates and fills in automatically

The free tier gives you 10 aliases. The paid tier ($6.99/month, includes VPN and Mail) gives you unlimited.

Pros: Swiss privacy laws, works on all devices, integrates with password manager Cons: Free tier limited to 10 aliases

Option 4: SimpleLogin (Best Standalone Service)

SimpleLogin is a dedicated alias service owned by Proton. It's designed specifically for this purpose.

How it works:

1. Sign up at simplelogin.io
2. Create your custom domain or use their shared domains
3. Generate aliases through their website, browser extension, or mobile app
4. All emails forward to your real address

The free tier gives you 10 aliases. Premium ($4/month) is unlimited.

Pros: Purpose-built for aliases, supports custom domains, open source Cons: Another service to manage

Option 5: Custom Domain (Best for Power Users)

If you own a domain name, you can create unlimited aliases using catch-all forwarding.

How to set it up:

1. Buy a domain (e.g., yourfamily.com)
2. Set up email hosting (Google Workspace, Proton Mail, or your domain registrar)
3. Enable "catch-all" email forwarding
4. Now anything@yourfamily.com forwards to your real inbox

I use this for maximum control:

• woolworths@mathewclark.email → my inbox
• amazon@mathewclark.email → my inbox
• randomforum@mathewclark.email → my inbox

If one starts getting spam, I block it at the server level.

Pros: Total control, professional appearance, unlimited aliases Cons: Requires technical knowledge, costs ~$10-20/year for domain

My Recommended Setup for Australian Families

Here's what I suggest based on your situation:

For most people: Start with iCloud+ Hide My Email (if you have Apple devices) or Proton Pass (if you don't). Both are easy, effective, and affordable.

For families: Set up a custom domain. Create aliases like john.shopping@familyname.au, sarah.school@familyname.au. Everyone gets aliases, and you maintain control.

For the privacy-obsessed: Proton Pass with a custom domain. Maximum privacy, maximum control.

How I Use Aliases in Practice

Let me show you my real setup:

Shopping & Retail:

• woolworths@[mydomain] → Rewards card, online shopping
• coles@[mydomain] → Flybuys, online orders
• bunnings@[mydomain] → PowerPass account
• amazon@[mydomain] → Prime, purchases

Each retail alias goes to a folder in my email. When I want to check for sales or order updates, I know exactly where to look.

Financial:

• banking@[mydomain] → All bank-related correspondence
• super@[mydomain] → AustralianSuper, Hostplus
• ato@[mydomain] → Tax-related, myGov notifications

These forward to my main inbox but are tagged for easy searching.

Newsletters & Content:

• newsletters@[mydomain] → Substack, blogs, industry news
• podcasts@[mydomain] → Show notifications, Patreon

I check these when I have time. If they get spammy, I delete and recreate.

Temporary/Disposable:

• temp1@[mydomain] through temp20@[mydomain]

For one-time signups, competitions, or sketchy websites. I create them as needed, use them once, then delete.

The Day Aliases Saved Me

Last year, I signed up for a "free" productivity webinar. I used webinar-temp@[mydomain]. Within 48 hours, that alias was receiving:

• "Urgent" sales emails (3 per day)
• "Limited time offer" notifications (5 per day)
• Other random marketing (2 per day)

I deleted the alias. The spam stopped instantly. My real inbox stayed pristine.

Without aliases, that company would have had my real email address forever. They'd still be spamming me today.

What About Passwords?

Aliases work beautifully with password managers. Here's my workflow:

1. Sign up for a new service
2. Generate a unique alias (Proton Pass does this automatically)
3. Generate a unique password (password manager handles this)
4. Save both in the password manager entry

Now each service has:

• A unique email address (the alias)
• A unique password
• Stored securely in my password manager

If that service gets breached, the stolen credentials can't be used anywhere else. The email is an alias (so I can delete it), and the password is unique.

Common Questions

"Won't I forget which alias I used?" No—your password manager remembers. When you go to log in, it fills in both the email and password automatically.

"What if I need to reply to an email?" Most alias services let you reply through the alias. The recipient sees the alias address, not your real one.

"Do aliases work for important accounts?" I use aliases for everything except my primary email account itself. Even my bank uses an alias. If there's an issue, I can update it.

"Is this legal?" Absolutely. You're not impersonating anyone or doing anything deceptive. You're just using a forwarding address—like having mail sent to a PO Box.

Your Weekend Project

Here's what to do:

This weekend (30 minutes):

1. Pick a service (iCloud+ Hide My Email, Proton Pass, or SimpleLogin)
2. Set it up
3. Create your first 5 aliases for your most-used services
4. Update those services with your new alias emails

Next week: 5. Create aliases for every new signup 6. Gradually migrate existing accounts when you log in

This month: 7. Review your aliases—delete any that are getting spam 8. Enjoy your cleaner, safer inbox

I promise you: once you start using aliases, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. The peace of mind alone is worth it.

Future you—opening an inbox with 90% less spam and knowing your real email address is protected—will definitely thank present you.

Get one security tip every Friday. Join thousands of Australians taking back control of their digital privacy. Subscribe at secureinseconds.com