Email Scams and Hoaxes - How to Spot them
Email is still one of the main forms of communication on the Internet because of its speed and reliability. It is used to keep in touch with colleagues, friends, and relatives instantly. It is very affordable, and in most cases, provided for free.
However, just like any service, email is open to abuse. Email abuse is done through scams, phishing attempts, and hoaxes that either aim to steal your money or identity, or create widespread public panic through misinformation.
If you have been using email for quite some time now, you may have encountered several or even hundreds of messages that are suspicious in origin since they are unsolicited. Perhaps you have received emails that offered to sell you cheap watches, drugs, or adult-related materials. You may have also received a couple of those infamous Nigerian scam letters or similar messages.
Unsolicited mail, scams, spam, and hoaxes are usually harmless if ignored, but have the potential to be a problem to your online security when entertained.
Security Risks of Email Scams
You should know that these types of unsolicited email pose a serious security and privacy risk. First, these emails can, and are being used to deliver spyware, “phish” for private information, or directly steal money from you. The mere opening of such messages can trigger even more of these emails to enter your email account.
These emails may contain images stored in a web server that, when opened, will download the content. That means the email is active and was received. It can also contain a link or URL to a website and, when clicked, will lead to a customized website that has malicious HTML or other web code that will install malware. Furthermore, it is being used to trick users into providing their personal information, especially log-in details (user name and password) by either directly asking for it or by linking to an authentic-looking log-in page.
Due to preventive measures being provided by email service providers, such as spam filtering and IP banning, scammers and other people sending you unsolicited mail craft their messages to bypass such security measures. However, there are still distinct characteristics that can tell you if an email is valid or not.
Spotting Email Scams and Hoaxes and other Unsolicited Email
Even though there are anti-spam measures in place, there are still many hoaxes that make it into your email. Here are some tips to stay on the safe side of the fence:
- Testimonials or “True” Stories – These are emails that contain a testimonial about a certain service or product indicated in the message. Lines like “It’s 100 percent legal”, “free, no strings attached”, or “It works” are just some of the signs of these hoaxes.
- Winning a “Prize” in a Contest or Raffle – These are emails announcing that you won a certain prize in a raffle or contest that you don’t even remember joining or participating in. Prizes are usually gadgets like MP3 players, laptops, or digital cameras, and sometimes even cash.
- Do this and Do that – Some messages will tell you to do something like forward the message to all of your friends or visit a website and sign-up for something “free” and when you do so, you will be given a reward.
- Email Attachments – If you receive an email that contains an attachment, especially when it is not a familiar file type, then that is another sign of a scam or hoax. When you receive one, simply delete it.
- Forceful, Demanding, or Emotional – Scam letters usually use these techniques that use threats or emotions to get you to do what they want. Nigerian scam letters and other similar ones are popular examples of these techniques. Others ask for donations or fund transfers, but are actually trying to steal your money.
When an email seems to be too good to be true, then it is not really true. The best thing to do is ignore and delete such messages. For more information regarding this article, read how to stop Email Spam.
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