Have you ever received an email threatening you to deposit a certain amount of money to avoid being exposed of surfing sites you shouldn't be or saying you've been hacked or worse? To make things more confusing, this threatening email comes from what seems to be a legitimate source like your bank or even your own email. If you have, then you could be a victim of email spoofing.
We recently saw such things appear on socmed, particularly for those who still use Hotmail. For those young people who don't know, Hotmail was one of the first major online email platforms and it was purchased by Microsoft who then migrated it to Outlook.com. Read on to understand more about email spoofing, whether or not you should worry about such blackmail/extortion emails and what you can do about it.
Here's an example blackmail/sextortion email that has been making the rounds
How Does Email Spoofing Work?
Imagine a sender's email address is like a return address on a package. Spoofing involves forging this address to make it appear like the email originated from someone else. This can be done using readily available tools, making it a relatively easy tactic for scammers.
Does Email Spoofing Affect All Email Types?
The good news is that email spoofing doesn't affect the way your emails are stored, regardless of whether you use POP3 or IMAP protocols. These protocols deal with how emails are downloaded and managed on your device, not the sender's information.
How Can You Avoid Email Spoofing?
Here are some simple steps to stay safe:
- Be cautious of unsolicited emails: Don't click on links or attachments from unknown senders, even if they appear legitimate.
- Verify sender addresses: Double-check the sender's email address carefully. Typos or strange domain names are red flags.
- Beware of urgency: Scammers often create a false sense of urgency to pressure you into acting quickly without thinking. Don't panic and don't rush.
- Enable email authentication: Many email providers offer features like SPF and DKIM that help verify the sender's identity.
Unfortunately, there is no clear way to completely avoid email spoofing.
What to Do If You've Been Spoofed
If you suspect you've been spoofed, don't click on any links or attachments. Report the email to your email provider and change your passwords for any accounts you may have compromised. And that's it, you can stop worrying now.
FYI, we've talked to those who have received such extortion emails that claim to take action (like exposing your supposed wrongdoings) after a certain amount of time has gone by. So… they did nothing, and nothing happened to them. No one suddenly blasted out these things or took over their social media to reveal whatever.
Keep calm and ask yourself some really important questions (below)
Some Really Important Questions to Ask Yourself
When we went through that extortion email, we have to admit our first reaction was to panic, but if you follow Step 1 in our How to avoid being scammed in Malaysia article (which is Keep Calm) some questions and answers come to mind. Here they are in a list so you might be able to avoid panicking as well:
- If you (the scammer) have access to all my accounts why don't you just take out all my money yourself? Why do you need me to help you?
- Do you really think that this person (the scammer), who is trying to profit from you, is going to leave you alone after you've given in and paid? No, it's just going to escalate.
- In the end, is what you did really such a big deal that you'd do something worse to cover it up? Look, this was all covered in movies (eg: Luther: The Fallen Sun) already and the answer should be a big NO.
Without a doubt, receiving such emails can be a stressful experience. All we can say is, keep calm and stay vigilant! Email spoofing is an ongoing threat, but by being informed and taking precautions, you can protect yourself. If you'd like to go through our general article on How to avoid being scammed, check it out here. For more tips on online security, stay tuned to TechNave.com.
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