The Best Ways to Avoid an Email Scam

With so much email marketing going on these days, it would be easy to fall for an email scam. Thousands of internet marketers and companies use email marketing campaigns as a way to get their word out to the masses. So how do you know when something is a scam? Here are a few things to look out for:

1. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone promises you will make a million dollars in 30 days, I can pretty much guarantee it’s a scam. There are no “get rich quick” fixes for wealth. Ask any millionaire. It starts slow and grows over time, no matter what your business is. So if some fast-talking salesman is giving you a sales pitch in a video that sounds too good to be true, delete it and move on.
2. If it sounds illogical, it’s probably an email scam. If people are telling you that you can lose 40 pounds in a week, climb to Mt. Everest in a day, or any other tall tale, delete it. It’s probably a scam. Legitimate offers and companies will be direct and transparent with you about what you can do, not sell you a package with no proof that it works.
3. If there are misspellings and grammatical errors, it is probably a scam. Reputable companies have expert copywriters and editors who scrutinize every email with a fine-toothed comb. They are presenting their face to the public and the last thing they want is misspellings or grammatical errors. Therefore, if you see any, better think again. It’s probably a scam.
4. Watch out for clickable links and “bait and switch” tactics. Some sales pitches offer you a lower priced product, only to find out the real one that you also need to have to make things work is five times higher.
5. If it’s not backed by research, it’s likely a scam. Real companies do their research, even if it is only Google searches and local research. So if there is nothing to back up their claims, better back off the deal.
6. If someone asks for your password, it is DEFINITELY a scam. This has happened with numerous companies, such as Paypal and others, where the person tries to get your email and log in credentials in Paypal, sending you a form to fill in, stating that your account is limited, or some other fake email. One tell-tale sign that it is fake is looking for misspelled words. This may be an indication it is a foreign operation or at least that the person doesn’t know enough about the company they are supposedly representing to spell it correctly.
7. Look it up on snopes.com. Snopes.com is well known for alerting the public about ongoing email scams. Type a description of the email you are getting or the email title in the search box and see what you get.

If you want to avoid email scams, use the above tips, then contact us. We are experts at keeping you safe online, keeping your systems running smoothly, and protecting your data.