Phishing
Email Scams are Becoming Even Harder to Detect
What is Phishing?
Have you ever received an email from a company you know and trust that turned out to be a scam? These emails are more common than ever, and are from people trying to get personal information from you, such as your credit card information, bank information, social security number, address, email, and passwords.
What is Phishing?
How to Tell if an Email is a Scam
An email from a scammer can be very hard to detect. Read on to find out some of the easiest ways to tell if an email is a scam.
- An unknown address. This email may look real, but check to see who the email is sent from. Any spelling errors or email addresses that look like random letters and numbers could be fake.
- Greeting. A generic greeting saying something along the lines of "Dear valued customer" should not be trusted. A company would address you personally, as they have your name on file.
- Spelling and grammar errors. Any email with incorrect spelling or grammar would not be sent out by a real company. Be sure to read carefully, as some mistakes will not be noticeable if you skim the email.
- Links. If the email you receive has a link in it, it will most likely be a scam. Hover over the link to see if it will redirect you to or a new website, or if it will stay the same.
- Urgency. If an email urges you to click on their link within a certain period of time, or that if you don't follow their directions your account could be terminated, this email may be a scam.
Do you think you can tell if an email if a scam?
Have you learned enough to tell if an email is a scam? Test your knowledge with a quiz to know if you can tell a real email from a fake: http://www.sonicwall.com/furl/phishing/