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Scammers are using email to trick you into giving them your personal information more and more. This practice is known as phishing. Cybercriminals may try to steal your account numbers, your Social Security number or your passwords. With this information, they could gain access to your email account, bank account or other accounts. Although the scammers are always coming up with new tricks, there are a few signs that will help you recognize a phishing email. 

Phishing emails may be look-alikes 

Phishing emails may look like they come from a company you know and trust, but they’re actually from a scammer. Cybercriminals are good at mirroring emails from big companies, like streaming video services, social media, and financial institutions.  

It’s all in the details 

Pay close attention to details when receiving an email from a company or site that you weren’t expecting and don’t click any links or attachments until you’ve verified that the email is legitimate. A good way to check out links is to hover your mouse over the link without clicking. Is the web address to the real website for that company, or is the link long and unrecognizable? 

Clicking on an unknown link or attachment could infect your device with dangerous malware, or scammers could use the information you input to gain access to your accounts. 

Another thing to pay attention to is grammar. Many times, phishing emails will have poor grammar. Missing or misspelled words, phrases that don’t quite make sense, or random words being capitalized are hints that the email is a scam. 

Beware of generic greetings 

Watch out for greetings like “Dear User” or “Hi Account Holder” in emails. If you have an account with a company, why would they use the greeting “Hi User”? A legitimate email from a company will most likely use your name to personalize the email.  

With scammers always looking to steal your information, it’s important to stay vigilant. To protect your information and avoid phishing scams, remember that any brand, site or company can be spoofed. Never click a link or attachment that you’re not expecting and call to verify any links or attachments you receive that feel suspicious. Being aware and using these tips can help you protect yourself and your information from scams.