Although it seems nice to reply, you’re better off not doing so if you don’t recognise or trust a sender.

From your reply the sender can ascertain the email address is active and in use, what time of day you tend to be online/active and that you’re a kind/thoughtful person who took the time to let them know they had the wrong address.

This email also has one major sign it might be a scam, that is the greeting “joseph.bloggs424” as we can see this is just the prefix of the recipient’s email address. Usually you would just address a friend by their name not their email prefix.

We always recommend that you don’t engage with an email from an unfamiliar sender. Now that they’ve been added to your contacts list, if you receive an email from them in the future you may think you know the sender.

This email also has one major sign it might be a scam, that is the greeting “SarahG” as we can see this is just the prefix of the recipient’s email address. Usually you wouldn’t include a friends initial when messaging them

Always avoid clicking links unless you are 100% confident the email is legitimate. There are a few signs this email might be a scam, such as the lack of personalisation, strange email address (should end in netflix.com) and inclusion of a phone number (something large offshore subscription sites wouldn’t usually include). Even without noticing these, the safest course of action would be to Google the subscription platform and head to their main website or access the app and check your subscription details from there.

Never call a number listed in an email, especially from a large organisation. Instead search the website online, scroll past the sponsored results and then call using the contact details listed on their website. There are a few signs this email might be a scam, such as the lack of personalisation, strange email address (should end in netflix.com) and inclusion of a phone number (something large offshore subscription sites wouldn’t usually include).

Never call numbers listed in messages, especially unexpected messages from large organisations. Instead search the website online, scroll past the sponsored results and then call the bank using the contact details listed on their website.

Although deleting the message is the right decision. It’s also a good idea to contact the bank via the details listed on the website just to make sure your account is secure. Make sure you DO NOT follow the links or numbers provided.

Never click links on emails from unfamiliar senders. Many scammers use the unsubscribe option as a way to send victims to another webpage. The unsubscribe button is just like other links and shouldn’t be clicked unless you are sure the email is from a trusted legitimate source. Instead, mark the email as spam/junk and block the sender.

If you don’t recognise or trust a sender it’s always best to avoid replying. From your reply the sender can ascertain the email address is active and in use, what time of day you tend to be online/active and that you’re a kind/thoughtful person who took the time to let them know they had the wrong address.

This can actually sometimes be a sign of a genuine account. Inversely many scam profiles are often only a few days or weeks old and were just created by the scammers before they listed items for sale. This is not a sure way to tell if someone’s profile is legitimate, we suggest you never transfer money or pay a deposit to anyone selling items online.

If a profile has only a few friends or none at all this is a sign it is a newly created profile or not a real representation of a person. Inversely genuine profiles will usually have more friends, however this is not a sure way to tell if someone’s profile is legitimate, we suggest you never transfer money or pay a deposit to anyone selling items online.

That would definitely make remembering your passwords easier. However, you should be using a unique password for each online account. If you use the same password for every account, one breach means every account is vulnerable.

That would definitely make remembering your passwords easier. However, you should be using a unique password for each online account. If you use the same password for every account, one breach means every account is vulnerable.

This is an example of a legitimate email from Microsoft although you would be perfectly safe to delete the email. The best course of action is to read the email then head to your Outlook email via a search engine instead of clicking the links and login. Once there I check my security settings and make sure everything is as it should be.

Although this is an example of a legitimate email from Microsoft it is always best practice to avoid clicking links in emails especially ones you aren’t expecting. Instead read the email then head to your Outlook email via a search engine instead of clicking the links and login. Once there I check my security settings and make sure everything is as it should be.

Even though the circumstances make the message more believable, this is a scam message. Never click unexpected links, even from friends and especially suspicious ones like this with a strange url and combination of numbers. The best course of action would be to message your friend via text or another messaging app to double check they sent the link to the photos. Or maybe give them a call.

Although this is a sure way to stay safe, you might want to stay in contact with your friend or let them know their account may have been compromised. The best course of action would be to message your friend via text or another messaging app to double check they sent the link to the photos. Or maybe give them a call. You could also screenshot the message to let them know their account may have been compromised.

Ideally you should enable 2-factor authentication for every online account that offers it. This means to login from a new device you will need a secondary method of proving your identity before logging in. This could be a code sent via text or through a 2FA app.

This is not a way to limit what damage a scammer might do. By saving your banking login details in your browser if someone was to gain access to your device either remotely or physically, they would only need one password to access all of your saved login details. We recommend not saving your banking details in your browser.

Having multiple antivirus programs on your device may sound like a good idea but generally does nothing extra to limit what damage a scammer might be able to do if they gained access to your devices. In some cases it may even slow your device down.

It is a common tactic for scammers to use the name and info of a genuine employee, so just because you found a real profile with a name that matches on the company website or LinkedIn in doesn’t mean the caller is really that person. The best course of action is to end the call swiftly then contact the banks office using the contact number listed online, or even better ignore a call from an unfamiliar number.
Remember that just because the scenario lines up perfectly it doesn’t make the caller more credible they could say “We understand you have been looking to invest” to every person they call and may retrieve your name from a data leak or public record.

It is a common tactic for scammers to use the name and info of a genuine employee, so just because you found a real profile with a name that matches on the company website or LinkedIn in doesn’t mean the caller is really that person. The best course of action is to end the call swiftly then contact the banks office using the contact number listed online, or even better ignore a call from an unfamiliar number.
Remember that just because the scenario lines up perfectly it doesn’t make the caller more credible they could say “We understand you have been looking to invest” to every person they call and may retrieve your name from a data leak or public record.