332 billion emails are sent every day, of which 85% are phishing, deceptive or spam mails. We share with you a couple of tips that you can use to detect such malicious emails and not fall into their traps…
Emails with a general greeting or text
Most companies send personalized emails to their customers. Phishing emails often contain more general phrases such as “Dear customer” or “Dear colleague”.
Emails with grammatical and spelling errors
Many companies use spell-checking tools and make sure their emails have the best grammar and spelling quality. Most hackers don’t think about looking good or protecting a company’s reputation. In most cases, they are not native speakers of the language they use and generally do not spend a lot of time on message content.
Emails with inconsistent reply addresses
Cyber threat actors often use similar websites and deceptive email addresses that look like a real person or company. We recommend verifying the domain name first, then you may want to search for the sender in your inbox. Small inconsistencies in the name, such as a period or underscore, a typo, or a weird-looking top-level domain name should trigger distrust.
Suspicious attachments
Do not open suspicious attachments, especially those commonly associated with malware (like .zip, .exe, .scr). Always scan your downloads using a reliable antivirus program.
too good to be true
The general rule is that if you receive the promise of help or wealth by mail, it is a scam. In sophisticated phishing attacks, the attacker may know your name. However, if the offer is very tempting, it’s usually a phishing attempt.
Fake urgency emails
Many phishing mails contain urgency to force recipients to take action without properly reviewing the content. Don’t be fooled by this. Find the company’s contact number and call them for clarification.
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