Beware of Email Scams: Always Check the Sender

‘Tis the season for scams. Although scammers never seem to take a break, there is consistently a big uptick this time of year in email and text notices that seek to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers. In the past, it was fairly easy to spot a fake or phishing email, whether through misspelled words, incomplete sentences, improper grammar, or bizarre content – for example, an email from your boss asking you to pick up gift cards from Walmart and email her the codes!

As our email protections have improved in filtering out junk email, scammers who send such phishing emails have also learned and enhanced their product accordingly. We recently learned of an email circulating around stating that customers’ Amazon accounts had been terminated.

On the surface, this email looks totally legitimate: it has the Amazon logo; it contains no misspelled words; it has a sender address that is seemingly from Amazon; it has just one errant period (hey, we all make occasional typos!). In reality, clicking the “sign in” button included in the email would take the consumer directly to their Amazon app on their phone to provide their personal details to confirm their account – personal details that would have gone directly to the scammers. The end result for some unlucky consumers is having to close all their accounts, change all of their passwords, and register for identify theft protection.

It is easy to see why some people would believe this is a real notice from Amazon. It is, understandably, a natural curiosity when you see that your account has been unexpectedly locked to try to figure out why. With the holidays upon us, many of us are turning to Amazon and other online retailers for gifts for family and friends. What if that perfect gift for your grandson isn’t sent because your account is locked? There is no question that scammers take advantage of the increase in online shopping this time of year. Those scammers are banking on consumers panicking and making the mistake of trusting the email.

But, there are telltale signs to keep an eye out for when you get an email that you are not sure is real. As mentioned, look for spelling errors, grammar errors, and unusual requests you would never expect from someone. If an email about your account being locked is unexpected or confusing, it is probably because it is not real.

Do some detective work before simply clicking on the link provided in the suspicious email. In the case of the Amazon email, simply hovering over the email address for the sender, which on its face is no-reply@amazon.com, reveals the true sending address:

This holiday season, and all year long, we encourage you to be vigilant in protecting yourself from identity theft and scams. If something seems off, it probably is. Never give your personal information to someone you don’t know via email, text message, or over the phone. Monitor your online accounts frequently and keep an eye out for any unauthorized transactions. Set up alerts with your bank accounts and credit cards to notify you when there is any suspicious activity on the account.

Scammers have gotten more sophisticated and don’t care who they hurt in their path of destruction. We are here to help if you fall victim to one of these scams. As you can see in this Amazon email, it is very easy to be tricked. Phishing emails can look very real and scammers are hoping you will believe the authenticity of the scam. Give Willig, Williams & Davidson a call at 215.656.3600 if you believe you are or may be a victim of identity theft.