There are many kinds of Spam Emails

Here are some examples of Spam Emails from scammers. Notice what they have in common:

• They may have spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes (though in some cases, the email may be well written)
• The greeting is usually generic and not addressed to you personally
• They want you to click on a link. Hovering over the link indicates that you will be directed to a different website than claimed
• Similar to other scams, they pressure you to act immediately, usually with a threat (such as account cancellation)

Remember, as with all scams, the goal of spam emails is:

• To get your MONEY NOW
• To get your PERSONAL INFORMATION NOW so they can get your MONEY LATER

The Scam: Verify Your Identity 

In this example, the signs of the scam are marked in red.
The scammer is posing as Amazon. They claim your account has been taken over by another individual, and that you must verify your account information in 36 hours by clicking on a link. They state if you fail to do so, they will terminate your account.

How to tell it’s a scam:

• Look at the sender – Amazon is spelt incorrectly
• There are spelling mistakes in the message
• The email is not addressed to you personally, it has a generic greeting
• The scammer wants you to reply immediately
• When you scroll over the link to confirm your identity, you can see that it will re-route you to a non-Amazon link

The Scam: Fake Account Cancellation

The scammer is posing as an admin for an account they claim you have. They claim someone has requested to shut down your account and they want you to click on a link to confirm this request.

How to tell it’s a scam:

• It has a generic greeting
• It is unclear where the account is from (bank, credit card etc.)
• There are grammar and punctuation mistakes
• Hovering above the link shows a different link than the email specifies, which will likely install malware onto your computer that will allow for the scammer to access your personal information.

The Scam: Fake Bank Account 

The scammer is posing as RBC Bank. The email states you need to add new security features to your account by clicking on the link.

• The message is not from an RBC Royal Bank email address
• There are several punctuation and grammar errors in the email, and the language is awkward
• When hovering over the link, it will re-route you to a non-RBC Royal Bank link which will likely install malware on your computer
• If you receive an email similar to this from an institution you know you have an account with, and you are unsure if the email is legitimate, call the bank via the number on the back of your bank card. Do not use a phone number provided in the email
• If you do not have an account with this institution, you know for sure this is a spam email

The Scam: Locked out of your Account 

The scammer is posing as Rackspace. They claim they have blocked your access to their site in order to help ensure your account security. They state if you wish to unlock your account, you must click on the link provided to verify your account information.

How to tell it’s a scam:

• The message is not from a Rackspace email address
• The sender wants you to click on a link, and threatens account suspension if you fail to do so
• The link will likely take you to a site which will download malware on your computer

The Scam: Fake Account  

This is another scammer posing as a Rackspace account. This email is more professionally designed but is still a scam.

How to tell it’s a scam:

• If you read the email carefully, there are many grammar errors and the language is awkward
• Scrolling over the link shows it is not linked to Rackspace and will likely take you to a malicious site

How the Scammer is trying to make this email look legitimate:

This is the same email, with different scam indicators noted.

• Notice the recipient’s email application has marked the email as Suspected Spam.
• The email is not from Rackspace, and the scammer is apparently using an address from the same account as the recipient (in this case, bist.ca)
• It is likely that every person who receives a message from this scammer will see an email with a similar account name (for example, if your email address is with @yahoo.ca, the sender will appear to be from @yahoo.ca)
• The footer says emails sent to the account will not be replied, this is an attempt to force the recipient to click on the link

The Scam: Fake Compensation from a Fake Scam

This is a scammer posing as a someone compensating victims of previous scams! It’s a double whammy!

How to tell it’s a scam:

• If you read the email carefully, there are many grammar errors and the language is awkward, including the salutation “Attention Dear”
• They are looking for all your personal information, including your “Identity Card” which is ambiguous
• The email address is a hotmail account and not from a legitimate financial institution

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