A phishing email is a way that cyber criminals seek information, such as credit card numbers or personal data, from unsuspecting people. It can also be a ploy to infect a victim’s device with a virus or malware.
If you get an email asking you to click on a link, enter personal or financial data, or verify your account information, you should approach it with caution. It might be legitimate, or it might be a phishing email. There are common characteristics of phishing emails that are easy to spot, if you know what to look for.
Check the Email Address
Look at the email address where the message originated. If it’s from a legitimate business, the domain (the part of the email address that comes after the @) should be the company’s name, or something very close to it.
Check the email address carefully for any misspellings. That’s a common sign of a phishing email.
Look for Mistakes
If the email address appears to be legitimate, read the content of the email. Be on the lookout for misspelled words and grammatical errors. Everybody makes a typo now and then, but you should be suspicious if you note several misspellings or grammatical errors that a native speaker wouldn’t make.
If the message appears to be a form email that gets sent out to large numbers of people, it should have been thoroughly checked for errors. If you spot mistakes, that’s a good indication that you’re dealing with a phishing scam.
Be Careful If an Email Requests Immediate Action
Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency. A phishing email might say that there’s a problem with your account or payment data and ask you to confirm or update your information. It might claim that you need to pay a balance immediately or ask you to change your password because someone tried to log into your account without permission.
Ask Yourself If the Message Seems Legit
A phishing email might be so well crafted that it appears to be legitimate, but your gut might tell you that something seems off. If the message claims to be from a company, the tone of the email might seem a bit unprofessional. If the email appears to be from a person you know, something about it might be inconsistent with other messages you have received from that individual.
It’s better to be safe than sorry. If you receive an email related to a bill or an account that you have with a company, contact the business directly. Go to the company’s website or check your most recent statement to be sure that the contact information you’re using is authentic.
If you receive an email from a friend, family member, or colleague and you’re not sure if it’s authentic, call or text that person or have a face-to-face conversation. Ask if that individual really sent you the email before you click on a link or an attachment.
