How to Avoid Email Scams

None of us are immune.  I’ve seen a CIO get caught by a bogus email sent company-wide to test our susceptibility.  It’s easy to laugh at the emails with misspellings and poor grammar – who falls for these things?  Does anyone honestly believe that the IRS or US Customs would be texting them?  But it only takes one good fake to get you.  Here is an essential tip on how to avoid email scams and protect yourself from phishing scams in general.

I was away from home and expecting an Amazon delivery.  It was raining cats and dogs.  An automated message popped up on my phone … I had a message from my Amazon delivery driver.  Maybe they wanted to know where to put the package to avoid the rain?

I was about to click the link to see the message, not thinking.  But then I paused.  The Amazon app uses notifications, and sends certain information by email.  This was a text.  Luckily, I paused long enough to remember a piece of wisdom from my IT training – go to the source.

This is the best way to verify any suspicious message and protect yourself from phishing scams.

Phishing messages often follow the same format as legitimate messages – a note that you need to do something, and a link to help you do it.

• If Netflix needs an updated credit card, I should be able to sign into the app like I normally do and take care of that.
• If my bank needs updated information, I can go through the bank website or call them.
• Password resets can be handled through default login page.

If you go to the source, you can verify if the issue is real, and handle it if needed.  If it isn’t a real issue, then you’ve just protected yourself from phishing scam.

In this case, my training saved me.  I opened the Amazon app, and looked at my order.  Not only was there no message, the package wasn’t due to be dropped off for several hours.

Luckily, I didn’t fall for the message.  I don’t know what kind of phishing it was – they might have had me “sign in” to my Amazon account and used that information maliciously.  They could have tried to get me to load a file with malware on it.  Regardless, it wouldn’t have been good.

if you remind yourself to go to the source, you can avoid email scams and phishing scams as a whole.  Knowing how to detect an email scam can also help you steer clear.