Avoiding Email Scams

Some emails are not safe. They might try to trick you into giving away your money or personal details. These are called email scams.

What Is an Email Scam?

An email scam is a message that looks real but is fake. Scammers send these emails to lots of people, hoping someone will believe them.

They might pretend to be:

• A bank

• A shop

• A delivery company

• Even a friend

Signs of a Scam Email

Look out for these clues:

• The email says you must act fast or you’ll miss something.

• It asks for your bank details or passwords.

• The sender’s email address looks strange or doesn’t match the company name.

• The email has spelling mistakes or sounds odd.

• It asks you to click a link or open a file.

Even if the email looks okay, be careful.

Why Do Scammers Send These Emails?

It’s easy and cheap to send emails. Scammers can send thousands at once. They hope someone will reply or click a link.

They can even buy lists of email addresses online.

What Should You Do?

• Don’t reply to strange emails.

• Don’t click on links or open files from people you don’t know.

• You can report scam emails to Action Fraud– they help stop scammers.