Receiving an email that you won the lottery and all you have to do is click on a link to confirm might sound cool and all, but in reality we know that a crazy email like this, is fake. However, it’s not always going to be as obvious to detect when an email asking you to click on a link is safe or dangerous. Here are some examples of what might be in an email that is trying to phish and ways you can identify its lack of legitimacy:
1. Links – The most popular and easiest way for a hacker to obtain your private data is by you, the user, clicking on a link that gives the hacker endless opportunities. Whenever a link is added to an email and you don’t know exactly what it is, you should always be weary and hesitant. There should be clues throughout the email, many of which are mentioned below, that will help you to decide whether or not to click on the link.
2. Misspellings – When skimming through an email that might already have your internal alarms going off, always make sure to check the spelling throughout the email as well as the email address. A lot of the time, there are words wrongly spelled that can allow you to quickly recognize a phony email.
3. Trigger Words – If you receive an email that you aren’t expecting and has a title or subject requesting you clink on a link urgently or it’s crucial that you respond, this should become a red flag, and you should steer away from clicking on any links. If a response from your company is urgent, you would likely be informed by a coworker or a boss beforehand so there is no need to trust emails with links coming to your inbox.
4. Bad Grammar – Going along with misspellings, if you receive an email that doesn’t flow well or the topics aren’t coming together to create a conclusion, this should also come as a red flag. This may be due to a computer automating a mass email or it comes from a foreign source where there is a difference in language.
5. Outside Email Address – Usually when communicating throughout your company or to external businesses, you recognize the address from where the email is being sent. Email addresses that may set off red flags are ones you don’t recognize at all or from a popular but generic one like Gmail or Yahoo. If you find any of these sitting in your inbox with a combination of the warnings above, do not click on any links and delete the email.
Keeping your data safe is Blue Line’s number one priority. We hope that the information provided above will help with ensuring no one breaches your private securities so your business can continue to grow and run smoothly.
