Doubts about whether an email sent to you is real or phishing? Keep these aspects in mind we will know how to detect scams by email.
For years, many of the scams that occur online are usually expanded by email. Most users have received a phishing email, it is still very common. Over the years, email services such as Gmail have introduced security tools with which phishing are largely avoided, but the risk always exists.
How to detect scams by email
Luckily, there are ways to detect if who sends an email is real or in fact, it is a scam. We will analyze all of them to avoid being cheated as much as possible.
Mail address
It is always the first aspect that should be taken into account when receiving an email because it is one of the best ways to detect a scam. The name of the person may be known, but the address gives many clues as to whether the mail is authentic or dangerous. At present, it is an aspect that has been perfected a lot, so it is also difficult to detect.
If the scammers use the email address to pass themselves off as a company, you have to pay attention to the name of the company and the URL or web address. Perhaps an intentional fault was committed or a name similar to the original was used. It is also possible that they use domains or accounts that do not really exist in that company. For example, many are looking to pass by Google sending emails from Google Support, which does not exist. Any error in the email address, however minimal, should trigger suspicions.
Email content
A time when you have to always suspect is if the email in question urges the user to carry out a specific action. Now we will know how to detect scams by email. If you ask to change the password immediately, enter the account at the moment, send a response with personal data … then you must always suspect. No company will request the sending of data or passwords.
In these cases, it is usual that they are emails that are passed through the user’s bank; although also platforms such as PayPal are usually affected by seeing the original aspect of their communications replicated in the content of the email. This type of emails looks for the login data, so the user will be urged to login to steal them.
The bank, PayPal or Google will never direct users in this way. They never send an email saying that they have to enter the account now; or that some information should be provided, such as passwords. So, if this happens, this email is a scam that can cause many problems for the user. It is best to mark it as spam.
How the email was written
Another common flaw in many phishing emails is there is spelling mistakes or bad translations from another language. That is why it is easy to find faults in said text or that there are parts of the message that are meaningless. This is something that should always generate distrust in the users, but there is much more to determine how to detect scams by email.
If it really is an email from the bank or from Google, to give two examples, there will be no spelling mistakes. A company, which would never send these types of messages, will not commit such failures. So, if you notice inconsistencies, then you have to suspect. Again, check if the address, name and content are reliable.
There are also emails where they pretend to be someone else that the user may know (emails that are forwarded to the infected’s agenda). In such cases, you can always recognize traits that do not correspond to the known person. It may seem that it is not so important, but any aspect that clashes with the usual behavior must put on guard.
Attached files
In many scams that are expanded by email or in the case of online malware, it is common that there is an attachment. Any attachment that opens and executes involves very high risk. The most common is that the email encourages the person to do something urgently, possibly opening the file. To know how to detect scams by email, you must have to be alert.
No bank, company, supplier … will request that an attachment be opened urgently. Google, Facebook and PayPal will never do it. In fact, the usual thing is that these companies never send attachments. So, if it’s a Facebook email where there’s a file, it’s best to mark it as Spam.
The situation is the same if you are posing as a person who knows you and who do not usually send attachments. Especially if it is something without previous warning or of what had not been spoken or mentioned before. Also if in this message there is a lot of emphasis on opening the attachment: it is best to mark the email as Spam.
Now after reading this post I hope you already know how to detect scams by email. So be alert when you operating your email account.