Protect Yourself: Understanding the Top Email Crimes Identified by the FBI

The digital world has become central to our lives, a trend dramatically accelerated by the pandemic. As we've embraced online shopping, social connections, and education, cybercriminals have seized the expanded landscape, with email remaining a primary tool for their schemes. Here are seven prevalent email scams identified by the FBI, along with expert advice to protect yourself:

Common Email Scams:

1. Business Email Compromise (BEC): Criminals manipulate emails to divert wire transfers to their own fraudulent accounts. This is a significant threat for anyone involved in home financing.
2. Email Account Compromise (EAC): Scammers impersonate trusted individuals or entities via email to solicit payments. They might pose as your lender requesting fees for a bogus loan modification, claim to be attorneys offering assistance with mortgage issues (for a fee), or even act as landlords advertising attractive rental properties they don't own, aiming to steal your deposit.
3. Phishing: These deceptive emails are designed to mimic legitimate sources. Phishing (which can also occur via voice calls - vishing, text messages - smishing, or website redirection - pharming) aims to trick you into visiting fake websites and entering sensitive information like passwords, credit card details, and bank account numbers.
4. Malware and Ransomware: Through malicious links embedded in emails, scammers can secretly install harmful software (malware) on your computer. This can escalate to ransomware, which locks you out of your system and data, demanding a ransom (often in cryptocurrency like Bitcoin) for their release.
5. Scareware: Scammers use emails containing false threats and intimidation tactics to pressure you into sending them money.
6. Denial of Service: Hackers utilize email as a tool to disrupt access for legitimate users to online systems or networks.
7. Data Breach: Scammers exploit email to infiltrate secure data locations and illicitly transfer sensitive information to unauthorized environments.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Be cautious with links: Avoid clicking on any email link unless you are absolutely certain of the sender's identity and the link's legitimacy.
• Examine email addresses carefully: Be wary of familiar-looking email addresses with subtle variations; a single character difference can indicate a fraudulent sender.
• Independently verify wiring instructions: If you receive wiring instructions via email, always confirm them by calling the involved company directly. Use the phone number listed on their official website, not the one provided in the email.
• Inspect URLs before clicking: Hover your mouse over a link in an email to preview the actual website address. If it doesn't align with the purported business, do not click. It's best to contact the business (using their official website's contact information) to verify if they sent you an email with a link.
• Watch for errors: Carefully review suspicious emails for misspellings and poor grammar, which are often indicators of fraudulent communication. Legitimate organizations typically maintain high standards of written communication.
• Protect your personal information: Never share sensitive personal or financial details (such as your Social Security number, bank account numbers, or credit card information) without first verifying the identity of the requester through official channels. Ask for their credentials and independently verify the company they claim to represent.
• Stay informed and vigilant: Keep abreast of the latest cybercrime trends and remain alert. Take a moment to scrutinize any questionable email before taking action.