A while back, I got a message from a company called Gusto that offered a paid product demo. Being in the market for a new laptop, I decided to take them up on their offer and get a sneak peak at their product. After all, I wasn’t going to purchase something that I had seen in a store, especially something as expensive as a laptop.
As I glanced at my email inbox, I noticed that a lot of the emails were from marketers who were trying to get me to open up an account with them so that they could start sending me marketing emails. I figured that if I didn’t want to get bombarded with junk email, then I should just unsubscribe from these mailings. So I went to the link that the company had provided in their email and opted out of receiving future emails. A few days later, I got a call from a marketing rep, apologizing for the hassle and offering me a special deal if I wanted to stay subscribed to their list. I politely declined their offer.
While there are many legitimate companies out there who would never spam you, there are a lot of scam artists who do it for profit. This being said, if you receive an email that seems overly familiar or you just don’t feel right clicking on the link, it’s probably a scam. So while it might not be a bad idea to get off someone’s email marketing list if you don’t want to get scammed, it might also be a smart move to stay subscribed so that you can get an inside look at what they are offering. Just remember that if you do decide to stay subscribed to their list, make sure that you unsubscribe easily and completely from their emails. Otherwise, you could end up in a bit of a pickle. Just ask Tony Shaffer of Actionable Content if you’re not sure about how to do this. He’ll tell you all about it.
Look At The Logo
When you get an email that seems too good to be true, you should always bear in mind that there is probably a catch. One of the best ways to tell if an email is suspicious is to look for the logo at the foot of the email. If it isn’t a company that you’re familiar with, then you might want to hit the delete key. Even if you think that the email is legitimate, you should take caution before clicking on any of the links that it contains, as these could all be set up to trick you. Remember: the best way to ensure that you don’t get scammed is to not give anyone your email address. If you do, then you’re opening yourself up to future abuse.
Check The Return Address
When you get an email from a company you’re not familiar with, you should always check the return address to make sure that it’s legitimate. This way, if you do decide to click on the link or download the file, at least you’ll know where it came from. If the return address doesn’t seem right, or if you even slightly suspect that it’s a scam, then you should hit the delete key. Remember: the safest option is to remain detached from these emails completely. No one deserves to be scammed, and sometimes it’s easier to recognize the signs if you stay away from things that you don’t know much about.
Check The Subject
The subject line of an email is usually written by the person who sends the email, so it can be a good indicator of whether or not the email is legitimate. If you’re not sure whether or not an email is a scam, then it’s a safe bet that it’s one. However, most scammers won’t write very cleverly, so it’s often difficult to tell. If you do decide to click on the link or download the file, make sure that the subject line isn’t misleading. Also, if the subject line doesn’t seem right to you, then it’s probably a scam.
Check The Body
The body of an email is usually very long and can be a great way to tell if an email is scam or not. Most scammers will put a lot of money into enticing you with false promises and usually go on for many paragraphs, trying to convince you to do something. If the body of the email doesn’t seem right to you or if you’re not sure whether or not it’s a scam, then it probably is. They’ll often use very poor grammar and use big words that they don’t really know the meaning of. Don’t be afraid to hit the delete key on an email with a suspicious body.
Look At The Signature
The signature at the end of an email is often times the most important part. It can be a great way to try to trick you into doing something that you might not otherwise do. For example, if the email claims to be from a well-known company but the signature doesn’t match, then it’s probably a scam. If you get an email and the signature doesn’t seem right to you, then it’s probably a scam. Make sure to be careful when dealing with these emails and don’t give out any of your personal info, as scam artists will try their hardest to trick you into doing their bidding. An easy way to spot a scam email is to check the spelling and grammar of the email, as well as looking for the company name in the signature. If you’re not sure about an email, then it’s usually best to hit the delete key.
Look At The URLs
If you click on a link in an email, you’ll usually end up at a website that isn’t what you were expecting. These types of emails are used to trick people into doing stuff that they might not otherwise do. For example, if you get an email with a link that says “click here to download free VPN software” but you’re not sure what a VPN is, then it’s probably a scam. Make sure to be careful about these types of emails and don’t follow any of the links that they contain, as you might find yourself on a dangerous site.
Check The Overall Style
There are a lot of scammers out there, and they all have one thing in common: they try to trick you into doing their bidding. If you want to be sure that you don’t get scammed, then it’s best to look for the red flags that might indicate that this is a scam. One of the best ways to do this is to look at the overall style and tone of the email. If it seems overly familiar or if you find yourself questioning whether or not it’s really from the company that it claims to be from, then it’s probably a scam. Just remember: the best way to ensure that you don’t get scammed is to not give out any of your personal info and to be careful about what emails you click on. Sometimes it’s easier to recognize the signs if you stay away from things that you don’t know much about.
As I mentioned, I decided to get a new laptop that Apple was having a sale on, and as soon as I got the invite, I hopped on the mailing list and purchased the laptop without ever setting foot in a store. Unfortunately, within a few weeks, I started getting bombarded with emails from the same company, trying to get me to click on a link that would take me to a survey site. I didn’t know what was up, so I decided to opt out of receiving the emails altogether. A week later, I noticed that my laptop had suddenly become slower than usual, and when I went to take a look at the storage space, I realized that a lot of the available space was taken up by junk.
While I was relieved that I had finally figured out what was going on, I was also upset that I had let someone get in my personal space without my permission. I hadn’t given anyone anything about me, and I wasn’t about to start now. So, if you’re ever unsure about whether or not an email is spam, then it’s best to hit the delete key.