Recognizing Scam Emails

1. How do I know if I have received a scam email?

• Look at the “from” email address.  Check if it contains strange words or characters or does not appear to relate to the company the email supposedly came from.
• Be cautious of emails that appear to relate to a service you don’t use (eFax).
• Hover over the links in the email with your mouse (but DO NOT click on them) – this will show you where the link leads to.  If the link appears to be something strange or un-related to the company the email was supposedly from, don’t expect it to be true.
• Look for grammar and spelling mistakes in the wording of the email.
• Watch out for strange or un-expected attachments.

2. What if the email branding looks very familiar, or the email contains past conversations I’ve had with a known contact?

• These are some of the ways that scammers try to trick you into clicking on links.  If the email contains a past conversation but you now get a strange feeling about the context of the email, get directly in touch with the sender by sending a new email or calling to confirm it is legitimate.
• Scammers will try to make emails look similar to real emails you receive from that service or company.  Possibly even most links in the email go to legitimate pages from that company – but before clicking ANY links in the email, hover over with your mouse and ensure it shows to be going to a proper website.

3. Why would these scams be happening?

• Some emails are sent for “phishing” purposes.  This means they are intended to look like a service you use, and when you click links in the email you will land on a sign-in page that looks similar to what you use for your email or other online service.  If you enter your password on this page, they will steal that password and use it to log into the real service for which you normally use that password.
• The links or attachments in the email could contain a virus or encryption malware.  This could cause you to lose data.

4. What can I do to protect myself?

• Always be cautious and use our recommendations in point 1 to determine if the email is a scam.
• Setup 2-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication wherever possible.  This is a way to protect the account in question by requiring more than just your password to access the account.  You will also need to provide another code or verification that could be texted or emailed to you, or obtained from an Authentication App related to the service.
• Install the free Malwarebytes Browser Guard on all of your Internet browsers, so if you click on a link that leads to a fake login page, it will hopefully be blocked.

If you've been a victim of fraud and wish to file a report, or if you wish to obtain more tips regarding dealing with fraud, either call your local police department or call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report a complaint using this form.

If you truly do have a computer problem, don’t call a random number appearing on your screen and don’t fall for any technician that calls you.  Find a local, reputable computer company that you can call with confidence, or actually stop in to speak with and feel at ease using their services.

CompuSave Computers Inc.

Your Technical Team - On Your Side

Call or Text: 519.863.6336  -  Email: support@compusave.ca

Website: www.CompuSave.ca