Each second, 2.7 million emails are being sent and approximately 60% of them are considered email fraud. Phishing is an act of social engineering to access private information. Phishing emails appear as they’re sent from a reputable person or legitimate company. However, this practice is known as spoofing. Fraudulent emails ask for personal information for “verification” purposes. Scammers want victims to click on a link or reply to their emails. The fraudsters may set up fake websites that look exactly like the legitimate website to trick users into giving out sensitive information.
What do Email Fraudsters Want?
Scammers request sensitive information through various spoofing tactics. Always think twice when the following information is requested:
- Bank Account Numbers: Debit and Credit Cards, Checking and Savings Accounts, Lines of Credit, Mortgage Accounts, Loan Numbers
- Unique identifiers: Social Security Numbers, Driver’s License and Passport Numbers
- Digital Identifiers: Usernames and Passwords
- Business Information: Financial Reports, Business Plans, Supplier or Customer Information
What are Common Email Fraud Indicators?
Most email fraud attempt has a dramatic background story. The emails often have poor spelling and grammar along with missing punctuation. Email fraud spurs emotions such as fear, despair, panic and in some cases thrill. General or simple greetings such as “Dear member” or “Hello” are used instead of the victims’ full name. The “From” email address section usually looks fine at first glance. A good practice is hovering the pointer over the address, then matching it with the official one. Remember to check if the address starts with HTTP instead of HTTPS where “S” stands for secure. Refreshing email passwords every three to six weeks is a practice worth the time. If phishing happens contact your financial institution, credit bureaus and the local authorities mentioned in the last article about smartphone fraud.
