List of scammer email addresses are everywhere on the Internet. They hack email addresses, purchase stolen login credentials from the Dark Web and use them to pretend to be your friend, family member or trusted business partner. They are relentless in their pursuit of your private information.
Sophisticated email scams are designed to bypass spam filters and trick even the most savvy email user. They may look like an authentic email from a common brand or service such as Netflix, PayPal or your bank, and they typically include a link to a fake website that impersonates the company’s website and asks for sensitive data (e.g., passwords or credit card details). They often convey a sense of urgency and confidentiality that is meant to emotionally manipulate the recipient into divulging their personal information.
How to Verify the Existence of an Email Address: Tips and Tools for Checking Email Authenticity
Many things can signal a scam email, such as the sender’s name not being in the To: line, a generic greeting such as “valued customer” or “hello” instead of your actual name and a lack of links that a company would normally include in an email (e.g., a ‘contact us’ or ’terms and conditions’ link). It is also helpful to hover your cursor over any links you see in an email to see where the website will take you without clicking.
There are also new types of scam emails that are more difficult to detect because they use your name in the From: line but change the email address by adding a period or swapping out a letter for another one that looks similar. This method is called spoofed email. This technique is also used to trick you into transferring money through services such as Cash App and Zelle or submitting personal information to an online form.