How to Verify Email Scams

Email scams can cause a lot of problems.

One of the most prominent hoaxes online is the email scam. Many people get spam messages every day from what seem to be legitimate institutions. The email could look like it's coming from a bank or even the federal government. Verifying an email scam is not very difficult if you know what to look for. Falling for one of these scams could lead to months of identity theft problems and could even hurt your credit.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Email account

Instructions

1. Open the email, but do not open any attachments sent with the email.

2. Look over the logos of the email to see if they seem legitimate. Some scammers will take the logos of financial institutions right off of their site and use them to try to gain trust.

3. Look for "Phishing" requests. These could be asking you for a phone number, Social Security number or your address.

4. Watch out for such messages as "Verify Your Account" or the infamous "Lottery Winner" scam.

5. Look for misspellings on the address sent to you. For instance, the address might be www.bankofamerca.com instead of www.bankofamerica.com.

Tips & Warnings

• Never open any email attachments unless you know the sender.

• Call the financial institution if the email seems like a scam.

References

• Microsoft: How To Verify Email Scams