[techtalk] Email – 6 Ways to Detect Email Scams (like a Gift Card request)
HANNING Darci C * SLO
Darci.HANNING at slo.oregon.gov
Tue Aug 31 15:01:29 PDT 2021
Welcome to the latest issue of Tech-Talk!
Don't be fooled by spammers
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This Week's Topic: EMAIL
1. ARTICLE & VIDEO ... 6 Ways to Detect Email Scams (like a Gift Card request)
2. COMMUNICATING ... It's never too late...
3. LEADERSHIP ... Blame the process, not the person
4. WEBINARS ...
· Sep 15: [COMM.] Write Professionally to Convince and Be Understood
· Sep 29: [WEBSITES] HotJar, a Free Tool to Analyze Website Traffic
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6 Ways to Detect Email Scams (like a Gift Card request)
Novice
It happened again! A colleague received an email from a friend asking for help. When she read it she thought it was a bit fishy; there were some red flags. But the note was from her friend (or so she assumed). Of course, she wanted to help!
If you received this, what would you do?
From: Kristin Chin (kchiin at gmail.com<mailto:kchiin at gmail.com>)
To: Rachael Hoffman
Good to hear from you! I hope things are getting better for you and trust you're staying safe, sorry for bothering you, I need to get a gift card (Apple gift card or Google play) for a family friend (she's an breast cancer patient). It's her birthday but I can't do this because currently I'm traveling for a friend's funeral who lost her life to Covid I tried purchasing it online but unfortunately no luck with that, can you get it from any store around you? I'll pay back as soon as possible.
Kindly let me know if you can handle this, so I can tell you the amount and how to get it to me.
Thanks,
Kristin
(Please email me back, the cell phone speaker is bad)
[scam]
Unfortunately, these types of emails (pretending to be from friends) are spreading like wildfire, especially asking to purchase gift cards.
My colleague was going to respond to the email request, but her inner voice had doubts... with very good reasons!
Spammers try to trick you to take a specific action, click on a link, call a number. Some can be harmful. For instance, if they contain attachments, that when downloaded, installs malware (software that's meant to do bad things to your computer). Other times they are just irritating.
But knowing how to recognize the legit from the bogus is important. You don't want to be another victim.
Let's take a look at some of the red flags to recognize email (or phone) scams.
Clues to Spot Scams
Before we jump into the list, let's break apart the email example above and pinpoint the red flags that told us it was from a spammer.
· At first glance, it appeared that it came from her friend's email address. But upon a closer look, we noticed that the name in the email address had two "i's" where it should have been one, kchiin at gmail.com<mailto:kchiin at gmail.com>.
· There was a request to purchase a gift card. Chances are, whenever someone asks you to purchase a gift card, it's usually tied to a scam. See specific things to watch out for in these types of hoaxes from the FTC(Federal Trade Commission) here, https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/gift-card-scams<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001gqPzY9BIBg1zIAzoLnEelp-CVJvgWM_u-pLbypdDkyFuYMpeK8P4mvx8NY9a7BelWSTlJLLImjSoOx7Y14lqI1ttLq8RL1h741PAzX5lMs7_lCK0a-zUk7u87e0vGX5ImwbckM-6-CPUAh4s9DOUvvt2Ge8FOUhbWjwfcuduILrpPMmw3vac-Y00i8txSVwr&c=1yWuWyJdl-28IJlsaMeTXiDywf5g-J5M6lNo27fPPpn7Ia0U5uiWNw==&ch=Npc7FnkjUWQ2yNDUck6Q_iCb3QhbwPH5duGWWMEm8l74KLMt7HeCng==>
· The email sender tried to sway the reader with an emotional personal plea using sickness and a funeral to gain sympathy.
· Finally, the email recipient was asked not to call the sender, only to reply to the email. Of course, if she had called her friend, the truth would have been discovered.
Six (6) Signs an Email Most Likely is Spam
Scammers use techniques to try and fool you. They may send emails that appear to be from your bank requesting information, from your utility company telling you your account will be turned off if you don't comply or disguised as a friend that needs help.
How can you tell if it is legitimate? Pay attention to these telltale signs of spam.
1. First, always look closely at the email "from" address.
[fake email]
For example, they may have tried to make it appear as if it's from a legitimate organization by adding some characters to the address, like IT at serviceatpaypal.com<mailto:IT at serviceatpaypal.com> or support at BankofAmericaforyou.com<mailto:support at BankofAmericaforyou.com>.
Or they hope you overlook the email address altogether and simply use something generic such as: ebaysupport123 at gmail.com<mailto:ebaysupport123 at gmail.com>.
Even more alarming, as in our example, the scammer could have hacked into her email account, copied the contact list and created a similar email address to appear to be legitimate.
2. The email content may have broken English, misspelled words, no punctuation.
Many spammers are foreign entities with poor English, so this is a telltale sign.
3. It asks for a reply with personal information.
This is a big red flag. Your financial institution or any online account will not ask you to reply to an email with personal info. However, spammers often mimic emails so meticulously by adding an organization's logo that you can be fooled.
If in doubt, call the organization, or log into your account directly from their website (don't follow a link).
[fake email]
4. The email contains suspicious links and/or attachments.
[spam email]
I received an email the other day that appeared to be from a collection agency telling me that I had an overdue invoice. I was tempted to click the PDF attachment that was conspicuously named "Invoice" to take a look, but I used my detective skills, determined it was spam and deleted it.
The "from" email address was suspicious, I couldn't tell what organization it was from and the signature line was vague, lacking a phone number. If I had clicked on the attachment to save or view it, it could have contained a virus or a number of different types of malware infecting my computer.
When there are Links in an email that look suspicious, do not click on them. They can lead to bogus websites set up to appear legitimate.
Sometimes links are disguised in a "button" so that you don't see the address.
Try this with any link or button: Hover over it (without clicking on it) and the web address will appear along the bottom of your browser. Then you can see if it is legit or not. (On a mobile device, hold down on the link and a pop-up will display the real link address).
[bad link]
[Netflix]
NOTE: Even in legitimate emails from online service providers, it's better not to click on the link in the email. Instead, log into your account the normal way. Usually, if you receive an email alert, they will have a message regarding the problem inside your account.
For example, say if you received an email from Netflix asking you to update your payment information, instead of following an email link, log into Netflix.com and go to the payment page that way.
5. The subject line (or email content) contains urgent or threatening language.
Scammers want to grab your attention and urge you to act right away. Watch for signs like:
· Words like Urgent Reply or Attention
· ALL CAPS
· Text in the body of the email that contains deadlines so that you will act immediately and not second guess the request
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6. The content of the email is designed to trick you with an enticing offer or story.
[Phishing]
Common requests in a hoax email may:
· Offer for coupons or free merchandise
· Ask you to purchase a gift card
· Express that you're eligible for a payout or refund
· Claim that there's a problem with your account
· Ask you to click a link to update payment information
· Request that you confirm personal information
Watch for Part 2 of this topic and learn how to protect yourself.
· What to do if you open an attachment that contains malware?
· How to report tech scams (phishing).
· Steps to protect your files in case of a scam.
Coming Soon!
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Communication: Recognition
It's never too late ... and sometimes it's even better!
OK, timely recognition of people ... when they've done something special ... is always preferred. Yet sometimes, it's even better to get delayed appreciation.
For instance, I get invited to a dinner party. I go. It's great. I have fun and come home. I immediately go to my note cards and send a thank you. Yes, it's timely and appreciated by my hosts.
But wait ... what if I delay a week and then send a thoughtful thank you? Sometimes, it will make the note seem even more sincere. Especially if I mention that I'm still remembering the great evening and fine food!
The moral is, no matter how much time has passed,
people love being appreciated!
Belleview Public Library (Marion County, Florida)
Some months ago, the kind and helpful staff of the Belleview Public Library of Marion County Florida generously allowed me to hold one of our Tech-Talk webinars in their study rooms.
At the time, of course, I thanked them, but I was reminded recently of how great they were and wanted to give them a delayed shout-out.
I have this fabulous photo and video ... and want to share them with you now. You can even hear Misty and Heather tell you about their library in the 30-second video <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001gqPzY9BIBg1zIAzoLnEelp-CVJvgWM_u-pLbypdDkyFuYMpeK8P4mvx8NY9a7BelTlxdBDl5Sh2w-b7G1N-sZHPlw4tM66Rsx1l21FGs-vdGm77TF73RF7oJMNVkmEZbAY2S6VJftCSrZ9TjNjOsFBzAhKjvYEL6oHbFPJ1wQTxuZt4OsHZc-PCZEUxmVd9h&c=1yWuWyJdl-28IJlsaMeTXiDywf5g-J5M6lNo27fPPpn7Ia0U5uiWNw==&ch=Npc7FnkjUWQ2yNDUck6Q_iCb3QhbwPH5duGWWMEm8l74KLMt7HeCng==> on the linked Tech-Talk page!
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NOTE: Misty (left) and Heather (right) ... see what a fabulous children's area they have! [Sadly we lost Misty in an auto accident this year, but our many shared memories and her positive spirit remain dear to our hearts.]
[https://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/da1c6ee9-ba35-4af5-9c80-8e1b5781189e.png]
Leadership
Blame the process, not the person
You know how sometimes things go awry? Problems occur. You look at the situation to figure out why. If other people are involved, it can be tempting to find out who was the cause. Who was ultimately responsible?
However, the better approach in communicating about a problem is to look at the process.
For instance, let's say that a report is sent out with errors in it. Surely the person who wrote it must be at fault right? But let's look at it another way.
Examine the process to ensure:
· The content was on target.
· The review step to validate that key points was included and correct.
· There was a proofing process from an objective individual so that mistakes could be more easily identified.
Regardless of the type of problem or mistake, the same principle applies. So, a good phrase to live by is:
Blame the process, not the person.
Then fix the process!
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Cheers,
Darci Hanning, MLIS (she/her/hers)
Public Library Consultant / CE Coordinator
State Library of Oregon | Library Support and Development Services
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