How To Identify Spam Email And Identify Phishing Scams?
Spam is an unfortunate by-product of owning an email address. They generally aren’t dangerous but surely annoying. However, it is still wise to treat spam with caution as they are often tied to phishing attempts.
Phishing scams or emails are among the most common attack vectors for cybercrimes. Due to the increasing number and attacks of phishing emails, it has become extremely important to know how to identify them more than ever before.
But before we indulge ourselves in knowing how to spot them, let’s know the general types of phishing to have better and clearer knowledge.
Types of phishing
A variety of phishing tactics are applied to lure people to share sensitive information. A few of them are put together below by experts of King Kong. Have a look:
1. Phishing links
The most typical way of phishing is using links. The scammers tend to create a reason that compels the email recipient to believe they are mandated to click on the link to complete a certain action. And once they do, the link directs the recipient to a website that might look legitimate but actually is a funnel transferring their sensitive information to the scammer.
2. Spear phishing
Spear phishing is not a typically and commonly used tactic, but these certainly are the most dangerous ones. These are tailored specifically for the recipients after gathering research which lets the recipient drop their guards, making it easier for the scammer to intrude in.
How to identify them?
Due to their sophisticated nature, spam and phishing emails often filter into our inboxes. However, it’s not all lost; there are certain ways to spot the legitimate ones as phishing and spam have their common characteristics making them stand apart.
Here are a few ways to spot them.
1. Emails demanding immediate actions
Emails that mandate taking immediate action threatening a negative consequence or suspension of account are phishing emails. That’s because attackers intend to take advantage of the prospect before giving the recipients the time to scrutinize the email.
2. Emails having poor construction and grammatical errors
Another way to spot phishing emails is through poor construction and grammatical errors. Legitimate senders apply online tools to ensure the words specify what they mean. But that is not what a scammer would intend or care about.
3. Emails having suspicious attachments
Work-related attachments are typically shared using collaboration tools. Therefore the ones with internal attachments that too with an unfamiliar extension should be treated suspiciously.
4. Emails requesting access to sensitive data
Emails from an unfamiliar sender that request sharing sensitive data like login credentials and passwords should be treated cautiously. Spear phishers curate a legitimate-looking email and site. Thus treating such mails with extra caution is recommended.
Bottom Line
The best way to protect yourself from such scenarios is to update yourself about the spam trend. What sort of emails, attachments, and information has been sought by the scammers can help you easily identify the legitimate ones. A combination of good security and better judgment can save you from major mishaps.