7 Emails You Should Never Fall For

Navigating your inbox can be tricky because emails have become a significant threat vector for malicious attachments, fraudulent websites, dodgy links, phishing, and more. While modern SPAM filters do a decent job of ironing out most malicious emails, some still find their way through, especially if they’re part of a spear-phishing attack instead of a regular phishing campaign.

While most phishing emails are fake emails sent to millions of computer users, spear-phishing emails target one or a small set of users. Regardless, it’s critical to recognize any malicious emails that land in your inbox to keep yourself and your contacts secure:

#1 Emails with Attachments

Treat any email with an attachment with suspicion, even if it’s from a trustworthy contact, because some malware infections can automatically send malicious emails to everyone on a victim’s contact list. For example, the prolific ILOVEYOU worm spread rapidly through email to a person’s known addresses. Here are some email attachment extensions you probably should never open:

• EXE files are executable files and can often carry viruses that corrupt your data.
• ZIP, RAR, ARC and other compressed files should be scanned with anti-malware software before opening because they may compress harmful software like ransomware.
• ISO files are digital images of a physical disc and could carry anything. There’s usually no reason for anyone to send unsolicited ISO files.

In addition, please avoid opening installer files because they may carry a trojan virus strain. A Trojan, of course, is a type of malware that hides behind a program that appears to be authentic and can drop spyware, ransomware, keyloggers, and more, depending on its type.

#2 Emails with Bad Grammar

Typos can happen, but it’s improbable for a bank or a shopping website to send you an email with grammatical and spelling mistakes. Large organizations look at language as a part of their brand and take extra precautions to iron out typos. For example, if an email from a retailer says ‘shrits’ instead of ‘shirts,’ it may be fraudulent.

#3 Emails with Poor Graphics

When hackers design phishing emails from a recognizable entity, they may download their graphics from the Internet. It may be challenging to tell at first glance, but when you look closer, you may notice that the headers and logos are skewed or are lower resolution than normal.

#4 Emails with Bizarre Addresses

Avoid opening any email from bizarre unrecognizable addresses, especially if they claim to be from a known contact. At the very least, you should verify it. For example, if you receive an email from your coworkers with an email address that looks unusual, pick up the phone and call them to verify. Sometimes, seemingly innocuous emails can carry malware.

#5 Emails That Want You to Verify

Any email that wants you to verify your sensitive data like your name, address, username, password, credit card data, or more should be managed carefully. Remember, established organizations will never ask for sensitive information on email.

#6 Emails from An Authority

You should verify any email from an authority like a government department, financial institution, police, and the like before opening or responding to it, especially if the email uses fear or anxiety to provoke a response.

#7 Emails with a Golden Opportunity

Look, no one is ever going to send a stranger a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get rich, find love, or win a vacation. So whenever you see an email from a Nigerian prince, or the high school sweetheart you don’t remember, have a laugh and delete it.

Hackers using more sophisticated techniques to trick computer users with fraudulent emails. Take advantage of your SPAM filter, keep an anti-malware tool handy, and stay cautious to protect yourself.