Not sure if an email is safe? What to check before you click
A calm, no-nonsense way to tell a real email from a scam, before you click a single link or type anything back.
Scam emails want one thing: for you to act before you think. They give you a little jolt of panic. Your account is about to close, a parcel is stuck, a payment didn't go through. Then they hope you'll click while you're flustered.
Take that pause away from them and most of these fall apart.
Slow down. That's the whole trick.
Nearly every scam runs on urgency. If an email is shouting at you to do something this very minute, treat the urgency itself as the warning sign. A real company won't mind if you take five minutes. You can always reach them through a number or website you already trust.
A few things worth checking
- Look at the actual sender's address, not just the name on show. "Royal Mail" can turn out to be
info@delivery-update-2293.com. - Ask whether you were expecting it. A parcel you didn't order, a refund from nowhere. Surprises deserve a second look.
- Notice how it greets you. "Dear Customer" instead of your name is a common sign of a mass mailout.
- Hover over a link without clicking and see where it really points. If the address doesn't match the company, leave it alone.
- Be wary of anything asking for passwords, PINs or full card numbers. Genuine organisations don't ask for those by email.
Still not sure?
Don't reply, and don't click. Go to the company's website yourself, or ring a number you already have. Getting a second opinion before you do anything is a sensible habit, not a daft one.
That second opinion is the part we're building Tuno to handle: a patient check on whether something looks right, in plain words, before you click or reply. We're launching in the UK soon. Add your email and we'll let you know.