Safe vs Unsafe Emails
Email is one of the top entry points for online attacks. Most people get suspicious emails every week. Knowing how to spot them protects your accounts, your money, and your computer.
Six red flags. (1) UNEXPECTED sender or unknown email address. (2) URGENT THREATS: "Your account will be deleted in 24 hours!" (3) GENERIC GREETINGS: "Dear Customer" instead of your name. (4) BAD GRAMMAR or odd phrasing. (5) LINKS that don't match the supposed sender (hover to check). (6) UNEXPECTED ATTACHMENTS — never open one you weren't expecting, even from a known contact (their account may be compromised).
You get an email from "Apple Support" saying your iCloud is full and you need to click a link to update your payment immediately. The sender is "support@apple-billing-secure.com." What's suspicious?
When in doubt: (1) DON'T click links or open attachments. (2) Verify by going directly to the company's real website. (3) If you accidentally clicked, change your password and run a virus scan. (4) Report phishing emails (most email apps have a "Report" button) — this helps train spam filters and can save other users.
Inbox Audit
Look at the last 20 emails in your spam folder. For each, identify which red flag(s) it has. Notice how phishing emails follow the same patterns. Once you see them, they're hard to miss.
Email scams aren't going away — but neither is your ability to spot them. The few seconds you spend checking each suspicious email is the cheapest insurance there is.
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