Avoiding Email Scams

As a result of the very cheap cost of sending an email. The ability to reach a large amount of people easily. Email scams are arguably the most common type of scams today.

Unlike many other types of scam. Emails scams are not necessarily aimed at vulnerable people. Instead, they look to catch out anyone who has dropped their guard.

All email scams have common characteristics which help identify if it is a scam.

The following is a non-exhaustive common characteristics found in email scams:

• You have received the email out of the blue. Or, you were not expecting an email from the organisation they claim to be.

• The senders email address does not match the organisation's website they claim to be. Sometimes the senders address could be completely different.

• The email is not addressed to your proper name. Instead using a greeting like "Dear customer". Or, the email may use the name in your email address. For example, if your email address is "[email protected]', the email might say "Dear bobsmith99".

• The email stresses that you need to act quickly or you will miss out.

• The email asks you to send them private information. Such as, your bank details, usernames and passwords.

• The email seems unprofessional or has spelling and grammar mistakes.

• The email has a link to a website. Scammers often set up fake websites which mirror a genuine organisations website.

Please note. If a suspicious email does not contain any of the above, be careful. The list is non-exhaustive and new email scams appear regularly.

Some of the main types of email scams include:

• Dating Scams

• Money Transfer Scams

• Phishing Emails

• Stranded Traveller Emails

Please note that each scam includes many of the common characteristics above.

What should you do if you receive a suspicious email?

• If you are sure an email is a scam, do not even open it. Instead, block the sender and then delete the email. Report the email to Action Fraud using their website by following the link. Reporting fraud and cyber crime | Action Fraud

• If you open the email. Do not click on any links or open any attachments in the email. If you do follow a link. Do not give any information and close the website straight away.

• Never call any of the phone numbers they ask you to call.

• Do not reply to the email or contact the sender in any way.  Do not even do this to ask them to stop sending messages.

What should I do if I have given my bank details to a suspected scammer?

If you get caught out and give away your bank details. Call the bank straight away and cancel any pending transactions you did not authorise.

If you have given card details, cancel the bank card. Acting fast will stop them taking money out of your account. If they have taken money, call your bank.

Where did the scammer get my email address from?

There are multiple ways a scammer will get hold of your email address.

Some of the common ways include:

• Computer programs that scan the internet and find email addresses from webpages

• The use of underground cybercrime forum that pass on email addresses

• The use of open air markets which sell lists of emails by the million. Its reported that a scammer can buy in bulk. They can pay around a penny for 1000 emails addresses.