My inbox is a regular mish-mash of the useful, the pointless, and absolute bona-fide scams. What often surprises me is that I receive the same scams on repeat, even after marking them as scams.
Thunderbird’s spam filters need some better training, that’s for sure, as even after marking so many of these repeat offenders as spam, they reappear. I’m not even sure how some aren’t flagged, as they’re clearly scams.
It’s also interesting that there is a range of tolerance to the spam that lands. Some are clearly phishing emails waiting to snag my data, while others look less dangerous but have hidden threats.
It makes it all the more important I know what to look out for to keep my inbox and computer free from threats—and you should know, too.
These emails arrive every week without fail
And every single one is scam
There are definitely levels to the scams that appear in my inbox. Some are painfully obvious, but with others, there isn’t always a clear scam present.
Business offers
One of the most common email scams I receive fits that non-descript bill: business offers. These emails don’t contain a link, aren’t attempting to force me to a download page, and appear to be from a legitimate email account.
The angle here is slightly different. Instead of just throwing a scam link straight at you, these emails are designed to win your trust and begin building a rapport with you, eventually hoping to win your trust. Eventually, it’ll transition to some sort of upfront fee request or a link to a data harvesting page or similar.
Sometimes, though, these emails are designed to test if you’ll respond at all, showing that the responding inbox is active. From there, other scams may begin appearing.
These business offer emails slip through the spam filters for a few reasons. One is that they don’t contain any links, which is often one of the first red flags filters check. No links means it’s unlikely to cause a specific issue for the recipient. Second, the plain, relaxed language is also unlikely to trigger any filters either (despite me regularly informing Thunderbird that this is junk mail!).
Medical alerts or research
Now, these scams are a bit more obvious. I’m sure most people have seen scams of this nature before, as fake medical research emails promising an unlikely cure are extremely common (plus many emails relating to other body parts!).
In this case, I frequently receive emails promising a magical cure for tinnitus or Alzheimer’s, suggesting some magic tonic or previously undiscovered miracle can finally fix these problems. Diseases like Diseases like Alzheimer’s and tinnitus are chosen because they’re scary and personal, and most folks probably know someone or have been touched by someone suffering from one or the other.
But as with anything promising the world after landing in your inbox, it’s scam designed to steal your data, money, accounts, and so on.
I’m less certain why these make it through spam filters, though. They’re so clearly scams, it seems surprising that they’re not picked up on. Spamming techniques like spoofing email addresses to appear from a legitmate source help, but the links and overall content should be picked up by filters.
Either way, it’s clear that this is absolute trash and should be marked in your inbox as such.
There are always tell-tale signs that you’re looking at a scam email
Don’t ignore the red flags
I receive more spam and scams, but at the current time, those are the main offenders. There are the other obvious scams, too, but most are variants on the classics. For example, one I received recently involved a displaced Ukrainian that had 20 million euros stuck in a bank, if only I could help unlock it.
So, you know, standard inbox scams.
In that, there are some scam email red flags you should never ignore:
- Too-good-to-be-true offers: Scammers often promise impossible results, like guaranteed #1 Google rankings, instant 5-star reviews, or miracle health cures. Real services and medicine don’t make these kinds of guarantees.
- Vague or generic senders: Many scam emails come from free Gmail or Yahoo addresses, even when pretending to be a business. Real agencies and companies will use a professional domain.
- Personalization: Or rather, a lack of it. If the email just says “Hello” or “Hi There” without your name or business details, it’s likely a mass-mailed scam. Genuine outreach usually includes some personal detail. “Hello dear” is one of my personal favorites.
- Emotional triggers: Be cautious if an email asks for account logins, upfront payments, or urges you to click on a suspicious link. Similarly, heaps of scams play on fear or urgency, such as miracle cures for serious illnesses or promises of business “domination.” It’s all the same: pressure to make a rash decision.
- Act fast!: If the message tries to rush you into a decision with lines like “Act now!” or “Reply today,” it’s a red flag. Scammers don’t want you to stop and think.
I’ve seen enough scam emails to know what to look for. But even then, I nearly fell for a well-timed phishing email, which just shows that you should always be vigilant and double check everything you read before acting. You could always take a phishing email quiz to brush up on your skills, too.
When it comes to email scams, it always pays to be overly cautious.
