If you receive harassing or offensive mail that is directly addressed to you, see harassing mail . The guidelines and the discussion that follows do not relate to harassing and offensive mail.
Chain mail is the e-mail equivalent of paper chain mail.
Chain mail may be distinguished from other junk mail if it was sent by a friend or acquaintance and includes a request to forward the mail to as many people as possible. Typically this comes from an address that you do not recognise, is addressed to an address that you do not recognise and has a subject which suggests that it might be junk mail. It also causes annoyance to recipients of the message sometimes encouraging the further sending of junk mail in reply. See Junk mail for further advice on this sort of mail.