Email providers have been doing what they can to crack down on phishing/fraudulent emails. Despite their efforts, a few emails still can occasionally make it to our primary inboxes. Did you know that in 2023, the FTC reported that roughly 690,000 people in the world fell victim to fraud, resulting in a total loss of $10.02 billion (Ouch).
To protect yourself from these email scammers, here are a few tips to follow:
1. Double and triple check the email address.
Many spam emails use a company’s name in the email address, but it’s not the official domain. (example: @qpro_softwaresupport.com vs @qprosoftware.com). Look for slight differences in the email address. Are there weird numbers, characters, or punctuation in it? If so, you need to be careful. Additionally if the message comes from a generic email address (such as yahoo/gmail/hotmail/aol/etc.), that should raise alarm bells. NEVER trust someone that comes from a non-business email.
2. Look for suspicious signs in the content of the email.
Does the message have the official logo/signature at the bottom? Are they linking to legit social media pages? If not, it could be spam.
Additionally if someone is:
- asking you to send financial / personal information
- telling you to click on a link to update sensitive information
- wanting you to pay them via gift card or any unconventional way
- and/or using threatening language (ie: you have been hacked, you have been locked out of your account, there is suspicious activity on your account, etc.)
it’s very likely you’re dealing with a phishing email. If you have any doubts, forward the message to your IT director and the company the email claims to be from. It’s better to be safe than having all of your information compromised.
3. Avoid clicking links and attachments until you know they are legit.
Know exactly what an attachment is before clicking the “download” button. If you didn’t request a file, or if the attachment is sent to you out of the blue, avoid clicking on it until you can authenticate.
When it comes to links, here’s a pro tip: hover your mouse over the hyperlink (don’t click) and look at the bottom of your screen to see where the link goes. If the address looks spammy/suspicious with weird spelling and characters, don’t click on it.
4. Do a background check.
Does the sender have:
- a verified LinkedIn account?
- reliable contact information? (phone number, address, email, zip code, google maps location, etc.)
- an active social media presence and are verified on their social channels?
- an official website?
- or customer reviews?
If you search for them on Google and can’t find anything, be wary of them.
You can never be too safe.
Unfortunately, some scams are really hard to catch. Despite taking all the precautions mentioned above, you could still be at risk of falling for a fraudulent email. That’s why it’s always a good idea to have security software installed, to use two-step verification for your accounts, to stay on top of phone and software updates, and perform frequent backups. (If you need help backing up your QFloors data, give our support team a call and they’ll take care of you.)
And don’t forget you can always report phishing emails. You can forward these emails to reportphishing@apwg.org (used by the Anti-Phishing Working Group, including financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, and ISPs). Let the company/person that is being impersonated know about the scheme, and report it to the FTC. And if you see any message from someone trying to impersonate QFloors that looks like it could be a fraudulent email, PLEASE let us know.
Stay safe everyone!
