How to Check If Email is Associated With a Scam

Check if email is associated with a scam are constantly coming up with new ways to trick you into clicking a link or downloading an attachment. They are attempting to get you to reveal your personal details so they can steal your money or your identity. Cyber criminals often impersonate someone that you know or work for in order to trick you into handing over personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, bank login details, SSN or other sensitive data.

A fake email can be spotted by the following red flags:

The sender uses a generic domain such as Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo. These domains are free to anyone who wants an email address and require minimum validation. It’s highly unlikely that a real person would have an account with one of these providers and they shouldn’t be used for business purposes.

Check if Email is Associated with a Scam: Protect Yourself

You receive an email at an odd time of day, for example, midnight with a subject line about an urgent issue. This is a common tactic used by scammers to create a sense of urgency in the hopes that you’ll act quickly before realizing it’s a scam.

The email contains links that automatically download malware onto your computer or redirect you to a fake website which will ask for your personal information. Always hover your mouse over the displayed name in the “From” section to see the actual email address that appears underneath. If it doesn’t match, that’s a strong indicator it’s a scam. You can also look up the website’s mail servers by checking its domain name and seeing who handles emails for that site.