Hello! It is very common to receive a Spam email. It is true that email providers have increasingly better filters. However, the truth is that some of them always end up getting through. However, not all of them are dangerous. But what is certain is that sometimes we can find ourselves with an e-mail of this type that puts our security at risk. In this post we are going to give you 5 tips to identify dangerous spam.
Spam can be a danger
We usually associate Spam mails with annoying messages. It is frequently intrusive, continuous advertising that floods the inbox. In most cases, this is basically what it is. But they can also use spam to steal passwords. Furthermore, to sneak some type of malware, and therefore it is convenient to identify it.
You are invited to click
The first sign that something fishy is going on is when they use a bait to get you to click on a link. For example, to log in to some platform, download or install something from a website. This already tells us that they are not only looking for us to open that email, but also something else through a link.
It is common that many computer attacks come through this type of tactics. In effect, they send a Spam email where they use some bait so that we end up clicking where we shouldn’t. This causes us to mistakenly download a file that is actually malware. This causes us to mistakenly download a file that is actually malware.
They play with time
We must also be alert if this email uses urgency and time. For example, they usually indicate that our account has been attacked. Furthermore, that we need to log in quickly to prove that we are the legitimate user and not an intruder. This will make the victim quickly do what the email says.
What happens with this? The margin of time to be able to think and realize that it really if a scam is going to decrease. An unsuspecting person can get scared and click where he/she shouldn’t. Therefore, he/she will expose all the data and passwords without realizing it.
Contains attachments
Of course, we should also be suspicious when we see that it contains attachments. This is common when they try to sneak in some kind of malware. They usually send a text document, PDF, image. In all these cases they could be hiding a virus, Trojan or any other security threat.
When we open that file, it can execute the malicious payload and infect the system. Occasionally, we don’t even need to install anything, but just open it. Security and privacy would be compromised.
You are asked to respond
The strategy of hackers can be to obtain personal data. With this in mind, they need to know if an email is really used by a physical person and exists. They could also try to get certain data from us, such as telephone number, address, or anything else. For this, they are going to prepare some strategy. This basically consists of replying to that email.
Therefore, to avoid this problem, you should never reply to a Spam email. It doesn’t matter if you are just going to reply with something without giving any data. In fact, just by doing that, they could start sending you a lot more spam mails to your address.
Uses personal data
Another sign that it may be malicious is when it uses your personal data. Maybe a cybercriminal collected certain information. For example, your name or where you live. This way, he prepares a more personalized email. So, they have a higher chance of success, and you end up clicking where you shouldn’t.
Whenever you see a spam email with certain personal data, avoid interacting with it and do not download anything. It is very likely that the intentions are bad. They may also want to steal your password or other personal information.
In short, with these tips you will be able to identify when a Spam email can be dangerous, beyond being a nuisance. Hopefully, you will be able to identify dangerous spam. See you later!
