Email scams are a lucrative business, so it's critical to know what to look for to avoid becoming the prey of email fraud. Three of the most common email scams involve sensational subject lines, spelling errors and fake email addresses. Avoiding email scams requires attentiveness, but it is an easier task if you know some telltale signs.
Dramatic Subject Lines
As reported by the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, many email scams appear to come from legitimate sources with a request to verify or confirm a transaction. Prior to opening an email, you should read the subject line. If it has obvious spelling errors, delete it. Also, it is best not to open emails that do not contain subject information. Furthermore, do not open emails with subject lines involving the following topics:
- Congratulations
- Verification
- Lottery
- Survey
- Quiz
- Free Quotes
- Warning
- Security Advisory
Designed to grab your attention, these types of emails are phishing for your information. If you receive this type of email, remove it and contact the organization directly, especially if the email appears to come from a financial institution or a government entity.
Questionable Email Contents
Occasionally, an errant email can get by you. Its legitimacy is questionable if it has any of the following elements:
- If the organization's website address does not follow the @ symbol in the sender's email address, it can be fraudulent. In addition, senders claiming to be from an organization while using an email address from another source, such as Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail, are suspicious. Make sure you check the actual email address and not just the sender's name.
- The email salutation addresses you as a valued member or customer instead of by your first name.
- Hyperlinks do not direct you to the stated organization. If you use your mouse to hover over a hyperlink in an email, and it does not target the intended company, it is likely a fraudulent email.
- Many email scams originate from senders in foreign countries. If you notice stilted language or spelling errors, it is a fraudulent email.
Odd Emails from You and Your Friends
Sometimes email scams appear to originate from your own account or from a friend's account. Do not open emails that use your email address as the sender. Moreover, emails from friends that do not provide a subject or offer a hyperlink instead of body text are a sign of hacking. You should remove the email and contact your friend, who can then advise others of the potential account hacking.
When you sign on to your email account, you should run through each of the subject lines and check off any email that has multiple spelling errors, over-the-top subject lines or no subject at all; hit delete when you're done. If you follow these guidelines and remain alert, you can avoid pitfalls from email scams.
Photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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