Inside A Scam Email: Practical Tactics To Stay Safe On Line

We have a lot of training to spot scams and fishing at Townsquare Media.

I ran across such a scam in my company email, and I wanted to share some of my knowledge with you on how I knew immediately it was a scam.

"Phishing" Email:

At first glance, a person might think they're in a bunch of trouble.  HOWEVER, with training, and a little bit of common sense, it's easy to spot this as a fake.

Here is the same email, only I've marked all the ways to spot it's fake:

1. That is a pretty official looking email considering they took the time to use a ".org" address.  But shouldn't that be .gov?  Just sayin'. The Court Summons Part is what should get your attention.  Courts do not summon with an email
2. You'll see 3- #2's on this email where they make very good attempts to get you to click so they can hack you.  NEVER click on anything in a phishing email.  (I've made it my personal practice to only click on links in an email when I know, without a doubt, that its from a trusted source.  It's so much safer to just log on to your account from the appropriate app or website if someone says there is a problem for you to check into. If there's really a problem, it will be in your account on the app.)
3. What courthouse in what town, county, or state?  What time is the hearing?  This line SCREAMS scam
4. There is a pretty basic misspelling.  Sure, that can happen to anyone, but in the scam world, this is a pretty big tell
5. Again, WHAT DAY AND TIME is the hearing
6. I looked it up, as far as I can tell, "Chief Secretary Prosecutor" is a made up position. Another big scammy tell

What If I Unwittingly Fall For A Scam?

The FTC suggests going to this website Identitytheft.gov if you think a scammer has your information like Social Security Number or bank account information.

If you've clicked on or downloaded an attachment, they suggest updating your computer's software then running a check and removing anything your computer flags after that check.  Get all their advice to avoid being the victim of a scam here.

Here are more great tips to keep you safe from scammers: