How to avoid email scammers

Email scamming has become a popular way for criminals  to try and get money from us. There are a variety of ways in which they do this. The first is to try and shock you into making a decision at the point you received the email. They are hoping that you are in a rush and they have called you unawares. This kind of email usually takes the form of saying that you owe money on an account that you know that you don’t have or a delivery of a product that you know you haven’t ordered.  The email offers you the chance to click on what appears to be an official link to the website. All this will do is take you to a website that then harvests your details which can be enough for them to be able to apply for financial products. In some extreme cases they will even asked for your sort code and account number so they can credit the account back.

Image credit

One of the most common, and in some cases most amusing options, is when they claim to be from a bank or a foreign power and need you to engage in a financial transaction for them.  This usually takes on the form of a rich, recently deceased person who has no inheritors. A scammer has picked your name out to benefit from the inheritance instead of the government benefitting.  Again they will ask for the personal details so they can transfer the money into your account.  There is usually a problem and you have to pay an admin fee to help the transaction go through.  These admin fee requests do not stop and you keep going as there is always the promise of a huge amount of money coming your way.

Image credit

The best way to avoid email scamming is to operate two rules. Firsty if you are contacted by an organisation and you don’t expect it, contact them on their own numbers on their website, not using the one on the email.  Secondly, and most importantly if it is too good to be true and it probably is. Cyber Security Insurance from https://jmpcyberinsurance.co.uk/what-we-do/cyber-liability-insurance/ offer cover if there is a problem.