5 Simple Steps to Identify Spam in Your Email.
Introduction
Spam (no – not the tinned meat variety) has been around since the early days of the Internet, as people try to find new ways to market their products and services. This can be annoying—but it’s not just a nuisance: spam is often used to mask malicious activity such as cyberattacks or fraud. If you do receive spam in your email inbox, there are some simple steps you can take that will help identify those emails before they become dangerous.
Check the address.
This can be done by looking at the domain name (the “@” symbol that follows your firstname@example.com) or email address (the portion after the “@” symbol). If it’s not from a trusted source, such as a website or brand that you have previously purchased from or engaged with via social media, it might be spam! Look out for common mistakes like spelling errors and incorrect capitalization, punctuation and spacing.
Watch out for spelling mistakes.
If your email has spelling mistakes, it’s probably spam. Phishing attempts (spam that tries to trick you into believing it is from a legitimate organisation such as your bank) often contain typos and grammatical errors, which is why they are easy to spot.
If you receive an email from your bank that has a typo in it (for example, “We regret to infrom you that…”), contact the company directly to verify its legitimacy before following any of its instructions. Do not use the telephone number listed in the email as it may also be fraudulent.
Is the offer too good to be true?
Is the offer too good to be true? If an email is offering you something that’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam. This happens because scammers often use fake offers and promises in order to get people who are desperate for money or other things.
If you are offered a great deal on something, but it seems too good to be true then it might just be a scammer trying to trick you out of your hard earned cash! So before taking any kind of action make sure that what you see/read makes sense and does not sound fake or unrealistic at all times!
Notice a large attachment? Check it out first.
If the email is from someone you know and they have sent you large attachments, check with them first. It’s possible that something else happened to your email account, like a virus or malware that’s making it look like their email is spam.
Spammers can make their emails look like they are from someone you know. I have even received spam emails where the email address was my own – or at least it looked like mine! My email was not hacked, there is just a trick the spammers can use to easily change the look of the sending email.
If the sender is someone you don’t know and the attachment is large, don’t open it! Spammers often attach malicious files to emails in order to infect computers with viruses or other malware.
Does the email include links and downloads? Don’t click them!
If a message contains links or downloads or links, do not click on them. Links can take you to dangerous websites, and downloads can contain malicious software that can damage your computer.
If you’re not sure where the link will lead, or if it comes from someone you don’t know or trust, don’t click it! If an email seems too good to be true (like offers of free money), it probably is.
One trick is to hover over the link (but do not click on it) and you should see a web address show above the link. This web address that shows when you hover over the link with your mouse/cursor shows the web address. You can see if this looks legitimate or not.
With these five steps, you can ensure more security when it comes to your emails.
Now that you’re familiar with the most common spam-related issues, it’s time to put this knowledge into action. Here are five steps to help you identify spam in your email:
- Check the email address and contact information. If it’s suspicious, don’t open it!
- Look at the spelling and grammar used in the message. Is there anything that seems off?
- Check out the offer or promotion being advertised. Does it look legitimate? If not—and especially if it asks for personal information—it probably isn’t!
- Attachments can be dangerous; if one was included with your email and there were no warnings about viruses attached beforehand, don’t open them! And if there were such warnings but still decided to open an attachment anyway… good luck trying not get infected by a virus now!
- Finally, links and downloads should also be avoided unless absolutely necessary because these can lead directly back into a hacker’s lair.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that spamming is a serious problem and it’s important that we all do our part to stop it. It may seem like a lot of work, but taking these five easy steps can help you identify and avoid spam emails—and keep your inbox clean for good! You can learn more from the ACCC Scamwatch website.
Remember, if you are a Seniors Tech Support member, you can contact us anytime to check if that email is risky or not – whether it has malicious links, attachments and so on. Call us and we can help you decide.
If you are not a member, you can join up here.
Stay safe and enjoy your technology.
