How to Spot Scam Emails

Email Scams Work, So Everyone Needs to Learn How to Spot Scam Emails

Attackers love using email to scam people, because it works. Learning how to spot scam emails is essential for staying secure online. A bad email can trick someone into giving a hacker access to their account, infecting their machine with malware, or giving up private information. Between 2023 and 2024, reported losses from online scams increased by more than 25 percent, with many individuals losing thousands and in some cases tens of thousands of dollars. Knowing how to spot scam emails quickly is an essential skill for staying secure online.

Long gone are the days of easy-to-spot scams claiming to be from a faraway prince who wants to share his millions with you for simply helping him move money out of his country. Those early scams were full of bad grammar, poor spelling, and unbelievable stories. These days, especially with the rise of AI, bad emails are much harder to detect. AI is even helping criminals craft more convincing scam emails, making it more important than ever to be cautious about what messages you open and interact with.

How to Spot Scam Emails: 10 Common Warning Signs

1. The sender doesn’t look right:
   Always check the From address. It’s your first line of defense. Scammers count on you being too busy to notice a message comes from amazon-support@outlook.com instead of no-reply@amazon.com. Attackers also use fake domains that look nearly identical to the real thing. They might swap the letter “O” with the number “0“, or use visual tricks like support@rnicrosoft.com. Notice how “r” and the “n” together looks like “m” at a glance? That fake address mimics support@microsoft.com. These small details are easy to miss when you’re scanning quickly, but catching them can save you from a costly mistake.
2. Urgent or threatening language:
   Scammers often use fear or pressure to get you to act fast. If a message says your account will be closed unless you respond immediately, that is a red flag.
3. Suspicious links or attachments:
   If the email tells you to click a link or open a file to fix a problem, stop and check it first. Hover your mouse over any link (without clicking) to see the real web address.
4. Spelling and grammar mistakes:
   Many scam emails are poorly written. While some attackers write better than others, odd wording or broken grammar is often a giveaway.
5. Requests for passwords or personal info:
   Legitimate companies will never ask you to reply with your password, credit card number, or any other sensitive information.
6. Too good to be true offers:
   If the message promises a prize, free gift card, or other reward that sounds unrealistic, it is most likely a scam.
7. Unexpected invoices or package notices:
   Attackers often send fake messages about deliveries or billing statements to make you curious enough to click.
8. Generic greetings:
   Legitimate companies usually address you by name. Scam emails often use vague greetings like “Dear Customer,” “Dear User,” or “Hello Member” because they’re sent to thousands of people at once.
9. Mismatched or shortened URLs:
   Scammers often use link shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl) or URLs that don’t match the company they claim to be from. A real PayPal email will link to paypal.com, not paypal-secure-login.net or a shortened link.
10. Unusual requests for verification:
    Be suspicious if you’re asked to “verify your account” or “confirm your identity” when you haven’t initiated any action. Real companies don’t randomly ask you to verify information you’ve already provided.

What To Do If You Get a Suspicious Email

Don’t click: Do not click any links or download attachments.

Mark as spam: Once you spot scam emails use your email app’s built-in tools to “Report spam” or “Report phishing”. This helps to help block similar messages in the future.

Report it: Notify the real company if the email pretends to be from one you use. Fake IRS, Treasury or tax-related scams also very common these days. If you get one of those you can report it directly to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov or through their official reporting page.

Delete it: Once you’ve reported or flagged it, delete the message so you don’t accidentally open it later.

What NOT To Do

Do not reply to suspicious emails: Once you spot scam emails, never reply to ask if someone was hacked. I’ve personally seen attackers respond to these kinds of messages pretending everything is fine, which only keeps the conversation going and increases your risk. If you want to verify whether an email is legitimate, contact the person by other means such as calling them using a known phone number from your address book.

Do not forward suspicious emails: Forwarding a suspicious message can spread it around and put others at risk of clicking on bad links or attachments.

Do not click unsubscribe links in scam emails: Only use an unsubscribe link if it’s from a legitimate company you recognize or something you actually signed up for. In scam emails, those links are often fake and can confirm your address as active, leading to even more spam.

Do not open unexpected attachments: Even if the message appears to be from a friend or coworker, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. If their account was hacked, the attacker could be using it to send infected files to everyone in their contact list.

Do not call phone numbers listed in the email: This type of scam is more common than ever. Entire call centers exist where fake “customer service” agents are ready to trick you into giving up personal information or paying for fake support.

Do not trust pop-up warnings: These alerts often appear after clicking a malicious link and are designed to make you download “security software” that is actually malware.

Protect Yourself Going Forward

The best protection combines awareness with a few reliable tools that make bad emails easier to avoid.

Email Services and Spam Filters:
Email providers like Gmail, Outlook.com, and iCloud Mail do a good job of blocking most junk and phishing messages before they reach your inbox. But no system is perfect, and a few bad emails will still sneak through from time to time. Always keep your built-in spam filtering turned on and report suspicious messages using the provider’s built-in tools. Doing this helps the email service learn to spot and block similar messages in the future for you and for everyone else.

Antivirus and Anti-Malware:
Scans attachments, blocks infected downloads, and helps protect your computer if you accidentally click something you shouldn’t.
Examples: Bitdefender, Malwarebytes

Password Manager:
Keeps your logins safe and unique, reducing the risk if one account is ever compromised.
Examples: Keeper, 1Password, NordPass (review)

VPN:
Adds another layer of privacy and protection, especially when you’re using public Wi-Fi.
Examples: NordVPN (review), ExpressVPN

Final Thoughts

Bad emails are getting harder to recognize, but they almost always rely on the same tricks. By staying alert and learning how to spot scam emails will help keep your personal information and your devices safe.