5 Common Signs of an Email Scam
We all remember the first time that a “Nigerian Prince” emailed us. He was very convincing that he wanted to share his wealth and all we had to do was share our bank account info so that he could deposit the money.
Most of us laugh at these types of scams, but the Nigerian prince still rakes in more than $700,000 from Americans, alone, each year.
The fact is, that today’s email scams are much more sophisticated than this; designed to fool you into thinking it is really your bank or Netflix that’s asking for your sensitive information.
Phishing is a sort of social engineering in which cybercriminals try to deceive individuals by producing and sending false emails that appear to be from a legitimate source, such as a company or a colleague. This is done in an effort to get access to sensitive information. It's possible that the email will require you to verify private account information like a password, or it may encourage you to open a harmful attachment that will infect your device with a virus or other malware.
Because they are one of the most prevalent hazards that can be found online, it is crucial to know how to identify them and what to do in the event that you come across one.
1. The Email Is Unsolicited
Be wary of any unsolicited email asking for your sensitive information. Today’s hackers often go to painstaking lengths to make their emails look like the real deal. But, when this authentic-looking email makes requests that you wouldn’t normally expect, it’s often a strong giveaway that it’s not from a trusted source. A company you are a customer of already has your information and won’t request it via an email. If you’re still unsure, call the company in question via a phone number already in your records or available on their website (not a phone number provided in the email).
2. The Email Wouldn’t Pass a Spelling Test
While cybercriminals are incredibly resourceful, they’re terrible writers. It’s amazing how often you can spot a phishing email simply by the poor language used in the body of the message. Poor spelling and grammar is a dead giveaway of a phishing email. Emails from legitimate companies will have been exhaustively checked for spelling, grammar and legality errors.
3. The URLs and Email Address Don’t Look Quite Right
Often, a scam email will come from an address that looks real. If you only look at these details quickly, they can look very real. However, if you look closely at the email address, you may find that it's a fake version that's meant to look real, like @mail.google.com instead of @gmail.com.
Infected links can also be hidden in the body of an email, often right next to reputable links. A phishing scam will often send you to a website with a changed URL that looks a bit like a real one. Before you click on a link, hover over it and look at it first.
4. There’s An Attachment
If you receive an email out of the blue that contains an attachment, alarm bells should immediately start going off in your head. Most legit companies will not send an unsolicited attachment, but also be wary of emails that appear to come from a person that include an attachment. If you don’t know the sender, don’t open it. A virus or other malware could be installed on your computer or network if the attachment contains a dangerous URL or trojan. It's best practice to always scan an attachment with antivirus software before opening it, even if you believe it to be legitimate.
5. The Email is Designed To Induce Panic
This has been an especially prevalent tactic used during the COVID-19 pandemic, though it is a common goal for phishing emails to instill panic in the recipient. The email may state that entering your login information will allow you to verify that your account has not been compromised. Take the time to consider communications like this carefully, especially in the midst of a significant catastrophe or other significant event. Hackers are counting on you to be so distracted or distraught that you do things you know better than to do.
If you see any emails with these traits in your inbox, be sure to flag them as spam. Ultimately, you are your (or your company’s) best defense against phishing emails.
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