How to check if an email is safe and not fall for scams

There is no safe place to exchange messages – even email can be used to carry out scams. That's why ways have been developed to verify the identity of an email so you don't get into trouble.

After all, who hasn't received an email from a Nigerian prince offering the opportunity to participate in a multimillion-dollar business?

While this type of scam has already become a meme, other types of emails can be far more convincing. For example, there are several scammers who send messages pretending to be e-commerce (online stores) and even the Serasa.

Thinking of helping you avoid going through this 'problem', we came up with some tips on how to verify the identity of an email in three different ways.

Check sender address

Many scammers use the name of companies or stores when sending the email. However, if you verify this sender's email address, you may already have proof of identity.

Doing this procedure is very simple. For the demonstration, we will use the gmail, but this process can be done in any messaging service you use on a daily basis.

See below in our mailing list a service protocol of a telephone operator. Let's open it.

Then check the sender's email address. It usually appears right next to the name, as you can see in the screenshot below.

Notice that, right after the “@”, the address ends in “minhanet.com.br”? Carrier emails often have this domain name, so chances are good that email is legitimate.

Later in the article, we will also teach you how to verify if a domain address is real or made up.

Tip: even if you open an email to check if it is fake or not, never click on any links or images before verifying its origin and identity. Generally, certain links infect your PC with virus, which may lead to data theft important.

Inspect each letter in the return address

Think of this tip as an extension of the previous one. Remember that we talked to check the sender address to see if there are any discrepancies. Do this very carefully!

In the previous case, the e-mail seemed legitimate because it contained the company's name. On the other hand, some criminals use more elaborate tactics, swapping just a few letters and creating a kind of optical illusion.

Rather than “minhanet.com.br”, the address could end in “mynet.corn.br”. See how the use of “rn” resembles the “m”? Now that we've highlighted it, it's easy to see, but at a quick glance, it can confuse us.

How to verify identity by domain

The third step in verifying the identity of an email that looks suspicious is to look up the domain on specialized websites. The domain is indicated by the name on the right side of the “@”, as you can see in the previous tips.

One of these sites is the tool Whois do registro.br. In it, you can put the address and check information about the creation date of the domain and who is responsible for it.

In the case of our example, the email address was really from clear / NET. See the search results below:

In this case, it is okay to click on the images or links contained in the content. Before we finish, check with us for some dubious situations where you may need to check all sender history.

Unusual phrases or incorrect grammar

In the example we used in the post, you can see that the grammar is correct and the tone is formal, as it usually is on TV and internet operators. If an institutional email is grammatically wrong or seems to speak in a different tone – whether formal or too informal – be suspicious.

In such cases, double-check the sender address and search the who.is to make sure you are dealing with a legitimate company or person.

Messages sent at unusual times

This tip is not as useful for companies as the one we used in the example, but it can be useful for friends, co-workers or clients. Imagine that a customer of yours responds or sends emails religiously during business hours.

Suddenly, he passes by and texts you around 22pm or even midnight. Especially if the email involves some kind of payment, be suspicious.

If this sort of thing happens, our recommendation is not to take action or call the customer to verify that they are the ones sending this message.

The link in the email has a different destination

Remember our first tip? You can also apply it to any link contained in the email. Before that, it is important to remember: do not click on email, just hover over it.

For the example, we are going to use the same address as before. Open the email and place your mouse over a link or image. In the lower area of ​​your Internet navigator, a URL address should appear. You can also verify sender identity with this hack.

If it is the same or indicates the same domain that appears in the link that you are pointing with the mouse, it means that the link is legitimate. Otherwise, run away as soon as possible!

With these tips, we hope you don't fall for scams or theft of information through your messaging service. Were the tips good? Share with your friends!