Do you ever wonder how spammers can send you emails that look like they are coming from your own account or someone you know? You might think that your email is hacked or that your friend’s account is compromised.
The truth is, these types of deceptive emails aren’t really coming from those addresses. They’re just pretending to be them. This is called spoofing, and it is an effective phishing technique used by scammers to trick you into opening their messages, clicking on harmful links, and giving away your personal information.
Take these two instances from Linda and James, who both experienced this spoofing scam firsthand and are sharing how the attempted attacks unfold.
They can get your email address or your friend’s email addresses from data breaches, websites, social media, or public directories. Then they can use them to send you phishing emails that seem legit.
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Why do scammers spoof your email?
To avoid being labeled as spam
To convince you that they have access to your accounts
stranger.
To expose your personal information
To scare you by showing a phone number or password
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How to spot a spoofed email
What to do if your email was spoofed?
It’s important to let your contacts know about the situation as soon as possible. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can notify your contacts:
Log in to your email account: If you haven’t already, make sure to regain control of your email account. You might need to reset your password or contact your email service provider for assistance.
Compose a new email: Create a new email to send to your contacts. You might want to use a subject line that clearly indicates the purpose of the email, such as “Important: My Email Account Was Hacked”.
Write a clear message: In the body of the email, explain the situation. Let your contacts know that your account was hacked and that they should ignore any suspicious emails they received from your account.
Send the email to all your contacts: You can manually select all your contacts to send the email, or create a group to send emails to multiple recipients.
Remember, it’s also important to take steps to secure your email account to prevent future attacks. This includes changing your password, setting up two-factor authentication, and checking your account settings for any changes made by the hacker.
What to do if you think you’ve received a spoofing email
Check your “sent” folder
Check account settings for any unauthorized changes
Don’t click any suspicious links, attachments, or images
If you receive a spoofing email, do not click on any of the links, attachments, or images within the message, as it could expose you to a phishing scam. These links, attachments, or images may contain malware that can infect your device or direct you to a phony website that looks exactly like the real one but is designed to steal your personal information.
Have strong antivirus software on all your devices
Keeping hackers out of your devices can often be prevented when you have good antivirus protection installed on all your devices. Having antivirus software on your devices will help make sure you are stopped from clicking on any known malicious links, attachments, or images that may install malware on your devices, allowing hackers to gain access to your personal information.
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How to further prevent spoofing
Change passwords
Always make sure your passwords are strong and complex. You should also change them regularly to be even safer.
Create alias email addresses
Creating alias email addresses can help prevent spoofing by making it harder for spammers to guess your real email address and impersonate you. C
Invest in personal data removal services
While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is invaluable, especially after a data breach. These services can help you mitigate the potential damage by ensuring your compromised information is continuously monitored and systematically removed from hundreds of sites. This ongoing process reduces the risk of identity theft, fraud, and other malicious activities, providing an additional layer of security and peace of mind.
A service like Incogni can help you remove all this personal information from the internet. It has a very clean interface and will scan 195 websites for your information and remove it and keep it removed.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Email spoofing is just the wave of phishing scams meant to trick you into giving scammers your personal information so they can steal your data and your money. These scammers are masters of disguise, yet you can outsmart them by carefully examining suspicious emails, verifying with your friends any emails you receive from them, and taking steps to protect your online presence. By being proactive, you can keep your inbox safe from the clutches of these deceptive crooks.
Have you ever encountered a situation where your email address was spoofed? What did you do? What was the outcome? Let us know by commenting below.
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