6 Ways to Spot an Email Scam

Email scams are getting sneakier and more complex everyday – so what can you do to avoid being the victim of one? To help, we’ve drafted a list of red flags to look out for, to help spot a malicious email. Share this with your team, friends and colleagues – you might just save your company from suffering huge losses and taking a reputation hit.

1	The email doesn’t address you directly Does the email address you by generic words like “Dear Customer”? If so, beware. Legitimate emails are more likely to use your first name or full name.
2	Bad Grammar Nobody likes to read bad grammar. Emails with poor spelling and punctuation should raise alarm bells.
3	Distorted Images Do the graphics look a bit shabby? A legitimate notification from an established company is less likely to send emails with blurry images.
4	Instructions to Click a Link Take note when an email asks you to perform an action. If there’s a link, hover over it to see where you’re being directed to before you click.
5	Weird origins Always check where the email came from. Even some Hotmail, Gmail & MailChimp addresses could be scams. Company addresses are usually more trustworthy.
6	A Sense of Urgency When the email is rushing you to do something, beware. If it’s asking you to pay money by a due date, it could be a fraud.