Prevent Email Scams and Phishing Attacks

Email scams and phishing attacks are on the rise, but there are measures you can take to protect yourself from falling victim to these malicious activities. This blog post will provide an overview of what email scams and phishing attacks are, how they work, as well as some tips on how to spot them and avoid becoming a victim.

What is an Email Scam?

Email scams, also known as “advance-fee fraud” or “419” scams, involve fraudulent emails that request money upfront in order to gain access to something. This could be anything from a lottery winnings or a job opportunity, but it always requires the recipient to send money first before they can benefit. These types of emails often use fear or urgency in order to persuade their victims into taking action.

What is phishing?

Phishing is when a malicious actor attempts to acquire sensitive information from unsuspecting individuals by impersonating a legitimate organization through email or other online methods. Often times these emails look like they were sent from a legitimate source such as your bank or credit card company, but they contain links that lead you to malicious websites designed to steal your personal information. It’s important for customers to be aware of this type of attack so that they don’t fall victim and have their identity stolen.

Spotting an Email Scam

The key thing to remember when it comes spotting email scams and phishing attacks is that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is! Here are some tips for spotting these malicious emails:

• Check the sender’s address
  • Make sure the address matches up with the organization that supposedly sent it. If not, delete it immediately!
• Look out for spelling errors
  • Legitimate organizations typically proofread their emails before sending them out; if there are spelling or grammar errors present in the email then it’s likely not legitimate.
• Don’t click any links
  • Even if the email looks genuine, do not click on any links in it as these could lead you straight into danger!
• Be suspicious of requests for personal information
  • Legitimate organizations will never ask for sensitive information such as passwords via email; if you receive an email asking for this type of information then delete it immediately!
• Contact customer service
  • If you’re unsure whether an email is legitimate or not then contact customer service directly via phone (not via reply) so that you can verify its authenticity.

Scams are Increasingly Common

Email scams and phishing attacks are becoming increasingly common. It is important for customers to be aware of how these malicious activities work in order to protect themselves from falling victim. By following our advice above – checking sender addresses, looking out for spelling errors, avoiding clicking any links, being wary of requests for personal information – customers should be able to spot an email scam/phish attack before they become victims of one! However if customers still remain unsure after using all these steps then contacting customer service directly via phone should help confirm whether an email is genuine or not.

Protecting yourself from these types of attacks has never been more important – so stay safe everyone! If you have more questions for Fizen™, please reach out to us directly.