Bobby Wilson
To tell if an email is real or fake, check who actually sent it, where its links go and what it asks you to do. If you are unsure, contact the company yourself instead of using links or contact details in the message. Many fake emails try to rush you into clicking, paying or signing in.
What Makes an Email Suspicious?
A phishing email is a message designed to trick you into sharing information, sending money or visiting a harmful website. It might appear to come from your bank, an online shop or someone you know.
Most warning signs are clues rather than proof. A genuine message can contain a mistake, while a scam can use the correct logo, your name and convincing details. Look at what the message is asking you to do, not just how it looks.
One rule covers most scams. Genuine companies never ask you to send your password, sign-in codes or card details by email. If an email asks for any of these, it is fake.
Nine Warning Signs of a Fake Email
The Sender’s Address Does Not Match
The name shown beside an email can be faked. This is one form of email spoofing, where a message appears to come from someone other than its real sender.
Check the full email address, especially its domain. A domain is the part after the @ sign, such as example.com. A scammer might use paypa1.com instead of the real company’s domain, or put a company name before @gmail.com. Even a familiar-looking address is not proof that the message is safe.
The Message Creates Urgency or Threatens You
Scam emails often claim you must act immediately. They might say, “Your account will be closed today”, or threaten an extra charge if you do not respond.
A fake delivery notice could say a parcel is waiting and demand a small payment before a deadline. The pressure is meant to stop you checking first.
It Asks for Passwords, Codes or Bank Details
Never send a password, a sign-in code or your card or bank details by email, to anyone. Your bank, your email provider and online shops do not ask for them this way. Any email that does is a scam, however real it looks.
A fake bank security alert might claim your account has been locked and direct you to a sign-in page. That page is built to steal your password. If the warning might be real, open your bank’s app yourself to check.
The Links Go Somewhere Unexpected
A link might display a company’s name but lead to a completely different website. On a computer, move your pointer over the link without clicking to inspect its destination, usually shown near the bottom of the browser or email window. Fake delivery failure notices often work this way, claiming messages are being held and asking you to click a link to release them.
On a phone, pressing and holding a link may show its destination without opening it, although this varies by app. Do not tap or select an option to open it. If you cannot inspect the address safely, leave the link alone. Even if a link looks correct, it is safer to open the website or app yourself than to click it.
It Includes an Unexpected Attachment
An email attachment is a file sent with a message, such as a document or picture. Do not open an attachment you were not expecting, especially if it tells you to enable a feature, run a file or sign in to view it.
For example, a fake invoice might arrive for something you never ordered. The message may insist that you open the attached document to dispute the charge. Do not open it just to find out whether the invoice is real.
The Greeting or Account Details Are Wrong
An email that starts “Dear customer” may be suspicious if the company usually addresses you by name. So can a message showing the wrong account details, an unfamiliar order or a service you have never used.
However, a generic greeting does not prove a scam. Some legitimate notices use standard wording. Check whether the message matches anything you actually expect.
The Offer, Refund or Invoice Is Unexpected
A prize you did not enter, an unexpected refund or a deal that seems too good to be true is almost always a scam. Never pay a fee or hand over personal details to claim one.
Never pay an unexpected invoice using the details in the email. An invoice can look convincing even when the sender has invented the charge. Confirm the payment through your own account or a trusted contact.
Someone You Know Makes an Unusual Request
A message may seem to come from a friend, relative or colleague but ask for something out of character. For example, a colleague might suddenly ask you to buy gift cards, or a friend might request urgent money.
Their account may have been taken over, or the sender may be impersonating them. Contact the person through a different method you already use. Do not rely on a reply within the suspicious email conversation. Never send money or gift cards until you have spoken to them.
It Contains a QR Code
Some fake emails hide their links in QR codes, which you cannot check by hovering over them. Treat a QR code in an unexpected email like a suspicious link. Open the company’s website or app yourself instead.
Can a Fake Email Look Professional?
Yes. Spelling mistakes, odd formatting and poor logos used to be useful clues, but they are no longer reliable ways to spot a phishing email. Scam messages can have polished designs and natural wording.
A genuine-looking logo, a personalised greeting or a neatly written message does not confirm who sent it. Likewise, a badly formatted email is not automatically fraudulent. The sender, destination of any links and request matter more.
What if an Email Seems to Come From Your Own Address?
Scammers can fake the sender so an email appears to come from your own address. They may claim to have hacked your account or device and demand payment, but in almost every case they have not accessed your account. If the email mentions a real password, it usually comes from an old data breach, so change that password anywhere you still use it. Do not reply or pay.
How to Check If an Email Is Legit
If the email claims there is a problem with an account, open the company’s website by entering its address yourself, or use its usual app. Look for a matching alert, order or payment there. You can also call a number you already trust, such as one printed on a bank card.
If the message appears to come from a friend or colleague, ask them directly using a separate conversation or phone number. Do not use contact information supplied in the suspicious message.
For more detail, you can inspect the full email header. A header is technical information about a message, including its delivery route and reported sender. It may show whether SPF, DKIM and DMARC authentication checks passed. These checks help verify how a message was sent, but passing them does not prove the email is trustworthy.
What to Do With a Fake Email
Do not click its links, open attachments or reply. Report the message to your email service as phishing. Most services offer a reporting option alongside their spam and unwanted email controls.
After reporting it, delete the message. You can also block the sender, although scammers may send further messages from different addresses. Blocking one address does not stop every scam.
What if You Have Already Clicked or Replied?
Clicking a suspicious link does not automatically mean your account has been compromised. Close the page without entering any details.
If you entered a password, change it straight away through the real website or app. Change it anywhere else you used the same password. If you opened an attachment, run a security scan on your device.
Turn on two-factor authentication, which adds a second check when someone signs in. Review your account for unfamiliar sign-ins, changed recovery details or messages you did not send. If you suspect someone has taken over your email account, follow the account recovery steps provided by your email service.
If you shared card or bank details, or sent money, contact your bank straight away using a trusted number. Explain what happened and follow its advice. Keeping strong, separate passwords and checking recovery settings are also part of keeping your email account secure.