Scammers and fraudsters are constantly finding new ways to take advantage of people’s trust, and their email address fraud detection guide is a key entry point. Here are some simple tips to help identify if an email is suspicious or malicious.

Email Address Fraud Detection Guide

Beware Unsolicited Emails with Unexpected Subjects

Emails that ask you to send money immediately, donate, reply with personal information or download software are often a clear indication of fraud. These types of emails are designed to elicit an emotional response from the recipient, whether it’s fear, greed or surprise. These responses will then trigger the recipient to act quickly before they realize it’s too late and have fallen victim to a scam.

Check if the Sender’s Email Address Contains a Disposable Domain

Scammers often hack and buy stolen email addresses on the Dark Web and use them to impersonate trusted organizations or individuals. If you see an email that looks like your bank, but the email address is Gmail or Yahoo, it could be a fraudulent attempt to trick you into giving away your sensitive information. Hover over links in an email to see the real URL.

An email risk score can be a powerful tool to detect fraud at multiple customer touchpoints, including account registrations and payments. By analyzing data points such as email address identity verification, reverse identity verification, live appends and email activity, it is possible to calculate a precise risk score for each transaction or sign up. This can be used to prevent email-based account creation, high risk orders and even fraudulent credit card payments.