We’d like to remind you to be extra vigilant when managing incoming – they potentially could be from scammers.
Phishing is when a cyber-criminal will make contact out of the blue, trying hard to appear to look legitimate and convincing you to click onto a link, or handover information, all of which in turn can lead to downloading a virus that infects your computer. Phishing usually happens over email, but can also happen through texts, social media or phone calls, and can appear as a personal communication or a business communication.
A fake email can arrive appearing to be from someone you know or from an organisation or company who you deal with or previously have dealt with. The content of the email may contain familiar detail or an odd subject title, all hoping you will click onto an attachment or link to understand more. Again, this risks giving the sender access to your PC, your files and extremely sensitive data and information.
Scammers will send an email from an account you may know or from someone else at the same company. They’ll ask for a payment to be made – but the bank details will be different. It can be sent in the middle of a normal email conversation and their details will still look genuine. In other cases, they’ll create a similar-looking email address to trick you. Once you pay the scammer, they can take the money in minutes and you might not be able to get your money back.
So, as our lives become busier with correspondence coming from different sources, we would like you to be very wary and vigilant and keep a keen eye on incoming emails which may look suspicious. Some of the signs to look for in a scam email are detailed below:
Check the ‘from’ address
- Check the sender’s email. A scam email often has a fairly bizarre email address behind what looks like a genuine sender name.
- Use your mouse to hover the cursor over or right-click on the sender name and you should see the email address behind it.
Does the greeting appear impersonal or lack meaning?
- Sometimes scam emails will just say “Hi” and not include your name, other times your email address will be used after “Hi”.
- Also watch for any email which does not explain its purpose or carries very few words, but leaves you to open an attachment to find out more.
- This impersonal generic approach to contacting you is another sign that it’s likely to be a scammer behind the email.
The language used
- Does the email read easily? Is it clear, professional, polite, correctly spelt and well written? Does it flow well?
- Look especially for a mix of font styles, font sizes and a mismatch of logo, which are all tell-tale signs.
- Bear in mind that many hackers may not have English as their first language, nor will be great with words or grammar, so a poorly presented email may again indicate a scam email.
Check branding
- Scam emails are often pretending to be from big brands, companies, supermarkets, retailers and deal sites or from trusted government departments.
- Keep an eye on the quality of any branded logos, etc. Checking branding and in the email can strongly indicate if the email is a scam.
- Is the branding on the email the same as it is on the company or government website? Does it match the last genuine email you received from them? If the answer is no, be suspicious.
- You could receive an email purporting to be one of your investment providers. A genuine email from an investment provider will not request that you click on a link and disclose sensitive information by way of completing an online form or replying to the email.
Ignore links and attachments
- Computer viruses can find their way onto your computer by scammers tricking you into installing them.
For example, ransom-ware threatens to take action on your computer – such as deleting files – unless you pay a ransom.
- If you suspect an email might be from a scammer, do not click on any links or download any attachments featured in the scam email as these may download a computer virus onto your computer.
- Stay security-savvy and ensure your antivirus software is always up to date, as this will provide an extra layer of protection if you have unknowingly downloaded a computer virus after clicking a link or downloading an attachment.
Check contact information and dates
- Does the ‘contact us’ information at the bottom of the email link to anything? Is it clickable? Are the websites it links to genuine? If the answer is no, you should be on your guard.
- To see where a weblink links to without actually clicking on it, simply hover your mouse cursor over the link. In the bottom left-hand corner of your web browser, the web address where the link goes to will appear.
- Are the copyright dates (or any others) up to date? Often scammers will forget this detail. For an example an email scam in March 2024, said the closing date of the competition being advertised in the email was December 31st 2023. If you see this level of inconsistency, it’s probably a scam.
Check if the linked website is legitimate
- If you have clicked through to a website or landing page from an email thinking it is genuine, make sure you also double-check the authenticity of the website. If it’s a big brand or company, simply open a new tab and do a quick search for them. Click on their website and then compare the URL addresses.
- Are they the same, similar or totally different? This should give you a good indication as to whether the landing page is a fake or genuine.
- If you haven’t yet clicked a link but are being asked to do so you can access an important message on your account, avoid the temptation to act quickly and log in via the email link. Instead, open your browser and log in to your account via the official website. Check if the message is really there. If it isn’t, you know the email you received is likely to be from a scammer.
Asking for personal or bank details?
- If an email is asking you to update or re-enter your personal or bank details out of the blue, it is likely going to be a scam.
- Personal information includes things like your NI number, your credit card number, PIN number, or credit card/debit card security code, your mother’s maiden name or any other security answers you may have entered.
- Most companies will never ask for personal information to be supplied via email.
Trying hard to be ‘official’?
- Scammers often try hard to make the email sound official, for example including using the word ‘official’ although you are unlikely to see the messaging in a truly official email stating how official it is.
- Scam emails may also contain information such as account numbers and IDs designed to trick you into thinking the email is genuine. Check any of these against your records to see if they match.
Trying to rush you?
- Fraudsters will try to pressure you with time-sensitive offers, encouraging you to act now or miss out on ‘exclusive’ deals.
- Take your time to make all the checks you need. If the message is alerting you to look at something linked to an account you have with the company, organisation or retailer, you should log in separately to your account in a new tab or window.
- It’s better to take your time to check this out rather than risk compromising your personal details or money.
Check with real company, brand or department
- If you’re still unsure whether a scammer is behind the email you received, contact the brand or company featured in your email directly via social media or their ‘contact us’ page.
- Remember also to check the brand or company help and customer services pages. Often big companies are aware of scams circulating and have published advice for customers on what to watch out for.
Safeguarding our clients is a key priority. If in doubt do not open the email, do not open the link or attachment, and do not send the email to someone else to look at.
How we can help
If you have any questions or concerns or need to chat with us about a specific matter, please contact us on 0808 123 4321 or by email on info@logic-wp.com. We’ll be more than happy to assist you.
Logic Wealth Planning provides independent financial advice in Manchester, Bury, Rochdale, Cheshire, and the surrounding area, but not limited to the region.