Learn how to spot an email scam with AVG (AU/NZ)'s 5 simple tips.

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How To Spot An Email Scam
Michael McKinnon, AVG (AU/NZ) Security Advisor

2. Overview
Received a suspicious-looking email that wasn’t caught by
your anti-spam filter? Here’s what to do:
1. Check the sender and subject
2. Look for spelling and grammatical errors
3. Exercise caution with links and attachments
4. Spot unusual images or logos
5. Be aware of existing common scams
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3. Sender and subject details
Things to look for:
• A subject line that doesn‟t make sense, or seems overly „spammy‟
• The sender‟s „from‟ address being completely different to the one
the message asks you to reply to
• The automatic „reply-to‟ address being different (hit „reply‟ to test
– but don‟t send of course!)
• A blank sender and subject
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4. Spelling and grammatical errors
Things to look for:
• Text that is readable, but riddled with odd punctuation, grammar
or spelling
• Extra and unnecessary spaces and paragraphs
• A lack of required spaces or paragraphs
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5. Links and attachments
Attempting to click on links or open attachments within
unknown emails is incredibly dangerous – so exercise
extreme care!
• Always hover your mouse over the links first, to see where they
lead
• Internet security software with LinkScanning technology is a must
(but even with this, there is STILL a risk!)
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6. Images and logos
Things to look for:
• Squashed logos and images that just don‟t look right!
• Logos that are outdated
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7. Common email scams
Be wary of any of these types of email messages:
1. Standard phishing – “We need you to supply your account
details…”
2. Something is wrong – “There is a problem with your
transaction…”
3. Something is waiting – “A package has arrived for you…”
4. You’ve won – “Congratulations! $1 million is yours…”
5. Work at home – “Start earning $$$ working from home…”
View other common email scams on the Australian Government‟s
SCAMWatch website or the AVG (AU/NZ) blog
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8. Summary
1. Email cannot always be trusted
2. If unsure, simply delete!
3. Use an anti-spam filter – this is included in AVG Internet Security
Happy scam-free emailing! 
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9. Thank you!
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Copyright © 2012 AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd, an Avalanche Technology Group company. All rights reserved.
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