By Dave Bruse, W4DTR (with help from ChatGPT)
Before clicking anything in an email, ask yourself these questions:
1. Was I expecting this email?
If not, be cautious.
2. Does the email create urgency?
Scammers try to make you panic and act quickly.
Examples:
-
“Immediate action required”
-
“Your account will be closed”
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“Payment failed”
Scammers try to make you panic and act quickly.
3. Is the sender’s email address correct?
Look carefully at the actual email address, not just the name.
Example:
✔ support@paypal.com
✖ support@paypal-security-alert.com
4. Never click login links in emails
If an email asks you to log in:
✔ Open your browser
✔ Go to the website yourself (using a bookmark if possible)
Do not click the email link.
5. Do not open unexpected attachments
Especially files ending in:
-
.zip -
.html -
.exe -
.docm
If you were not expecting it, delete it.
6. Never send passwords or codes by email
No legitimate company will ask for:
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your password
-
verification codes
-
security questions
7. When in doubt, do nothing
Delete the email or verify another way.
Golden Rule
If an email asks for money, passwords, or personal information — stop and verify first.