How to identify fraud and scam emails

People receive many fraud and scam emails everyday and they get so tensed. There are so many ways to identify fraud and scam emails. I also receive emails naming my web hosting provider, PayPal, Telecom company etc.

Examples of fraud emails:

1) PayPal: Your Credit Card detail has been changed or Someone tried to transfer money using your PayPal account, please click on the link and update your account/credit card detail.

2) Web Hosting Provider: Your registered domain/web hosting service is due to renew, please visit this URL, to renew your domain/web hosting.

3) Telecom Company: Your bill is due or we could not collect the payment for this month bill, please visit the link and pay your bill to avoid interruption of the service.

4) Lottery Winning or Foreign Fund Release: The most common fraud that doesn’t need to be explained. First question: How could you win a lottery when you never participated? Though you won, why someone would ask you to pay fee to get winning amount? People contact that they has so much money and want to make you partner to release the fund, but in the end ask you to pay some fee. So never believe a lottery winning email and foreign fund release. 

Solution: How to Identify Fraud and Scam Emails:

The best solution is to check the email address of the sender. For example: If PayPal sent you an email asking to update your credit card detail, please verify the sender’s email address if they have @paypal.com in the end. Sender’s email should look like this for example: abcxyz@paypal.com. Match it properly, don’t get confused by the puzzled word. Sometimes it could be misspelled. PayPal could look like Payapl. So that is also fraud.

Note: Never reply any fraud or scam email. if you reply, you will invite more troubles and spam to your inbox.

This kind of fraud could also happen over phone calls. No one asks your credit card detail over phone, so never give it to anyone. Lottery/Winning calls are 100% fake. Just ask them to keep their money if you have not bought any lottery, and if you do play lotteries, verify them but don’t pay them.

I believe now you understand how to identify fraud and scam emails.