Security

Tips for Detecting and Avoiding Spam Emails

Even though email filters have evolved, spam messages can still show up in your inbox. To avoid having your laptop or Android infected by harmful viruses, it’s important to know how to recognize spam. Once you identify that you’re dealing with a spammer, you must dispose of their phishing email safely, so its contents won’t attack your device. An easy way to keep from being affected is by enabling Anti-Hacking feature. Click below to activate Anti-Hacking:

Anti-Hacking is a security feature that protects your Android against phishing attempts. While you’re scrolling through the Internet, Anti-Hacking blocks virus-infested websites and pop-ups, so you can browse safely. If you do come across a malicious site, the tool will warn you immediately. The following will teach you the 101 on spam emails.

Detecting Spam in Your Inbox

There are a few ways to tell if an email is spam, even when it looks authentic. Here’s how to figure out if a spammer is trying to phish you:

The email address is suspicious. Look closely at the sender’s email address. If the URL doesn’t match with the establishment’s official URL address, they’re almost definitely a phisher.
Check the spelling. A major corporation rarely sends out emails with typos or grammatical mistakes.
They don’t use your name. If the sender doesn’t know who you are, that’s a big red flag.
Outrageous demands, threats, and/or claims are made in the message. Phishers often try to create a sense of urgency. Their ploy is to get you to open their attachments, send them money, and so forth.
The email seems too good to be true. If you won some contest you didn’t enter, like the jackpot lottery or a free cruise, it’s definitely a scam.
There’s no signature. If there are no contact details, be very cautious. Real companies never send emails without a signature. They want their clients to be able to contact them.

Avoiding Getting Phished

Once you identify an email as spam, do not answer it, reveal personal information, or open the attachments. The email’s attachments likely contain viruses or malware, which can be used to steal your identity, spy on your activity, or damage files on the device. The same advice goes for suspicious links. On most computer browsers, you can hover your cursor over a link. If the URL appears fishy, don’t click on it. Finally, if the email comes from an establishment you belong to (i.e. a bank or company), you can contact them directly, in person or by phone, to double-check the authenticity.

PSafe Newsroom

The dfndr blog is an informative channel that presents exclusive content on security and privacy in the mobile and business world, with tips to keep users protected. Populated by a select group of expert reporters, the channel has a partnership with dfndr lab's security team. Together they bring you, first-notice news about attacks, scams, internet vulnerabilities, malware and everything affecting cybersecurity.