Despite what people might say, email isn't dead and remains one of the most frequently used forms of communication. That is one of the main reasons why cyber criminals use fake emails to try and hijack into your account and then steal your identity and more. Your email is a potential entryway into all the accounts that are linked with it including your social media accounts, online banking services, your website and other online areas of your life. This is what makes your email one of your most valuable digital assets.
Something to know is that your email is also one of your most vulnerable digital assets. This makes it all the more important for you to know how to spot potential threats. Here are the four potential signs of a fake email.
A Wrong Email Address
Hackers are smart so they try and use email addresses that look like they belong to a trusted and reliable source. However, a closer inspection will help you see a few spelling mistakes and that is the sign you're looking for. Double check the email addresses to ensure that the email is indeed from the right address.
Spelling And Grammar Mistakes
Typos are common and hardly anyone can completely avoid them. However, an email riddled with mistakes should raise red flags. It is quite uncommon to receive emails from a known brand or business filled with mistakes. How you're being addressed in an email is also important. If the email starts off with something like "Dear Customer" and uses your first name, then there are chances that it is fake.
Asking For Your Personal Information
The main purpose of all such emails is to steal sensitive and personal information. It is quite common therefore for fake emails to contain links or attachments that ask you to submit your personal information like password, username, bank account number or even permanent account number.
Threatening Subject Lines
Another sign is such emails try to instigate a feeling of urgency in you. Emails with subjects like "Urgent Action Required" or "Attention: Your Account Will Be Closed" try to cause fear so that you can take action on what the email tells you to do. This too is usually a sign of fake emails.
