Digital fraud, whether that be through emails or text messages, has been a major problem for many years. However, with the rise of the pandemic, scamming seems to be at an all-time high. There are many reasons for this, for example people are spending more time at home and are therefore more likely to interact with these emails or text messages. Scammers are also tapping into the demand for vaccines or supposed Covid “cures”. However, probably the most significant scam in recent months is the “lost parcel” message. Considering so many of us have been shopping online more than usual, this particular scam has been incredibly widespread and successful.
One of the main ways in which fraudsters connect with potential victims is through their email inbox. It’s very easy to get hold of email addresses and therefore send out thousands of messages to different people.
You may feel like email fraud is easy to spot but methods are becoming more sophisticated by the day. What should you look out for to ensure you’re not the next victim of an email scam?
Email Address
The first thing you should check when trying to ascertain whether a message is legit or not, is the senders email address. If the email address looks unofficial in any way, it’s likely that it probably is. If it includes somebodies name or has a domain which doesn’t match the organisation that the email claims to be, these are all warning signs. When in doubt, copy and paste the address and put it through a Google search. If it’s an official address, it will show up in the search as such.
Links
Phishing emails are one of the main ways in which scammers will trap their victim. They will send out an email, claiming to be from an official source, such as the bank, Post Office, PayPal or retail brand. Unsuspecting victims will then click on a link within the email and be taken to a fake website. This could lead to the hackers stealing your personal information or even installing dangerous malware or viruses on to your computer or phone.
If you are suspicious of an email, never click on a link within the message. You could hover your mouse over the link, to see if it’s legit or not. However, when in doubt, it’s best to delete the email and go straight to the source they are claiming to be.
What do they want?
A good litmus test for ascertaining the legitimacy of an email is by simply finding out what they want. Some will ask for some sort of payment, others may want you to log in to an account, open an attachment or click on a link, these are all warning signs. Banks, government organisations and brands, will utilise their email to provide information, but generally they don’t require any interaction with these messages. If an email is asking for something from you and you are unsure of whether it’s a scam or not, just go straight to the organisation in question and contact them directly. This is the safest and easiest way to ensure you aren’t interacting with a fraudster.
Composition
We all know what an official email looks like at this point and this is a good starting point in which to judge others. Take a look at the body of the email, is it poorly composed? Are there are any spelling mistakes, in either the body of the email or the address? These are all signs that the sender isn’t who they say they are.
You should also take a look at the tone of the email as it should be professional and relatively neutral. Any messages which seem to create a sense of urgency or fear, are most likely scam emails. No brands or organisations are going to bully their clients in to doing something quickly.
What should I do?
If you suspect you have been sent a fraudulent email, the best thing to do is to report it using the in-built function within your email account. You could also contact Action Fraud and provide any details that could help in their investigation.
If you fear that you’ve clicked on a dodgy link or given some personal information to a scammer, there are a number of things which you need to do. First, contact your bank and explain the situation and they should be able to help you to protect your financial information.
You also want to ensure that your device hasn’t been infiltrated using malware or viruses. Download a reputable anti-virus software and complete regular scans. You will also need to change your passwords for the accounts that you access on that device.
Email fraud is on the rise but as long as we remain vigilant and learn what to look out for, we can stay one step ahead of the scammers.
