I’m a security expert – delete three emails from Gmail and Outlook right now or risk bank-emptying nightmare
DANGEROUS emails could be hiding in your inbox right now – so find them and delete them.
A cyber-expert has told The U.S. Sun what three of the most common (and sinister) email scams look like.
You could find yourself targeted by these attacks at any time – including on popular apps like Google Gmail or Microsoft Outlook.
Falling for one could let hackers steal your money, infect your device, or take enough private info to defraud, extort or blackmail you.
Thankfully, they’re easy to avoid if you know the signs.
We spoke to Chris Handscomb, Solutions Engineer at Centripetal, who explained what to look for in your inbox.
If you get these emails, it’s important to hit report and then scrub them from your inbox.
The first email you should look out for (and promptly delete) is called the Advance Fee Fraud scam.
“You are approached by someone claiming to be a representative of a deceased relative’s estate or acting on behalf of a rich VIP,” Chris told us.
“After a small exchange, you will be told to transfer funds (via Western Union, Bitcoin, cash in an envelope) to pay an ‘agent’s fee’.
“And in exchange, you will receive a vast sum of money.
“My advice here would be: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
The second type of email to watch for is the Computer / Account Take-Over Phishing scam.
“This attack is a numbers game,” Chris warned.
He said that a crook will send “a few thousand emails” claiming to be from a bank – in hopes that some of the recipients are customers.
“Contrary to popular belief, they do not typically ‘know’ who you bank with,” Chris explained.
“While these emails will appear genuine, the links embedded will take you to a clone of the website you are expecting.
“This will steal your login information for later use by the criminals.”
And the third type of email to beware of is an Impersonation (Spoofing) scam.
“By impersonating an executive at your company or a family member, malicious actors will seek to separate you from your money or secrets,” Chris revealed.
“A common example of this may be from an executive to a junior employee stating that they are out of the office and need money urgently sent via Bitcoin, bank transfer or another unusual method.”
If you ever receive a request like this, it’s best to speak to the person face-to-face or over the phone to verify the request.
Don’t use contact details in the email and avoid falling for pressure tactics like deadlines or threatening language.