Is That Email A Scam? 7 Ways To Figure Out If An Email Is A Scam (Without Clicking Any Links)
The number and sophistication of scam emails are rising.
If you’ve been seeing a lot of suspicious emails landing in your inbox recently, you’re not alone. From claims that you are in breach of community guidelines to notifications that you are guilty of copyright infringement, they come up with something new every day. I get them, too and frankly, it’s getting harder and harder to spot the fakes.
As soon as you open one of these emails, your eyebrow goes up. Something feels off, but you can’t be sure. All of a sudden, you are feeling guilty, stressed and panicky. Your stomach drops, and your blood pressure goes through the roof. After all, no one wants to be fined or sued for breaking the rules—and that’s exactly what these fraudsters want. Panic!
The scammers sending these emails are hoping to rattle you so you panic and start clicking links. And that’s how they get you. So, before you panic, take a minute and figure out if the email is a scam. Here are seven tips to help you crack the case and take back control of your inbox.
7 Signs That An Email Is A Fake
It’s getting harder to spot fake, scam emails—but not impossible, if you know what to look for. Here are the things I investigate to determine if that email is a scam.
1. Does the sender's name match the email address?
If you get an email from META but the email address is johnsmith123@randomdomain.com then you can be sure something is not adding up.
2. Is the domain name legit?
The domain name is the part of an email address after the @ sign. For example, mine is @mattygdigital.com, which makes sense, right? But if you get an email from PayPal and the domain name is something unusual like @pay.pal-support.xyz your spidey-sense should be tingling. A quick check on PayPal’s website will show you that it’s a fake.
TIP: 99.9% of all legitimate businesses have a professional domain for their email. If you get an email that is supposedly from a big company, but the email address ends with @gmail.com you might be dealing with a phony.
3. Does the website and contact information hold up to a Google search?
A legit business will include their website, phone number and social media handles in all email communications. If an email feels fishy, pop open a Google search and type in the URL provided in the email. Does it lead to a website? Is that website for the business sending you the email? You can do the same thing with a phone number. Type it in, and if it is real, you should see it associated with multiple company pages.
4. Is the email creating an unnecessary sense of urgency?
Because scammers are trying to throw you off your game so that you panic and start clicking links, they will use language like “Warning”, “Urgent”, “you have 24 hours before your account is suspended”, and other vaguely threatening statements. Real businesses don’t do this. It’s unprofessional and, honestly, just a crappy thing to do. If you see this kind of language in an email, it’s a red flag.
5. Are the links even legit?
Let me start by saying: DO NOT CLICK THE LINKS in suspicious emails or emails from unknown senders.
Always check link URLs before you click on them. To do that, hover over the link and view the URL. Does the address look right? Does it appear to be sending you where the link text says it is sending you? If you aren’t sure, don’t click it.
6. Is the email asking you to provide personal or payment information?
Whether it’s your full name, a phone number or your credit information, a real business will not ask you to provide personal or payment information via email for obvious reasons. If an email requests personal or payment information, it is a scam.
7. Does the email even make sense?
If you are reading through an email and you notice spelling mistakes, grammar errors, or language that just plain makes no sense, assume something is not right. On its own, this isn’t always a guaranteed sign of fakery, but it usually is.
The Email IS A Fake. Now What?
Once you have determined an email is a scam (or at least suspicious), shut it down.
Block the sender’s address
Report it as spam
Delete the message from your inbox, and
Move on with your life.
You don’t have time for phony emails and grifters trying to stress you out and steal your information, or worse.
Identifying Email Scams Can Be Hard, But It’s Not Impossible.
With more and more scam and phishing emails dropping in your inbox, it’s more important than ever for you to know the signs of a fake. Scammers are getting tricky, and these phony emails are getting harder to detect at first glance. But, with a little detective work, you can still figure out if an email is a scam or not.
Take your time, go through the seven steps outlined above and, when in doubt, don’t click anything. If you think an email could be legit but something feels off, you can always contact the company or organization directly from their website to confirm whether or not they have contacted you and go from there.
