• News
    • Tech News
    • AI
  • Gadgets
    • Apple
    • iPhone
  • Gaming
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
  • Science
    • News
    • Space
  • Streaming
    • Netflix
  • Vehicles
    • Car News
  • Social Media
    • WhatsApp
    • YouTube
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
TikTok
Snapchat
WhatsApp
Submit Your Content
You should never open an email if you spot these warning signs

Home> News

Published 09:46 30 Sep 2024 GMT+1

You should never open an email if you spot these warning signs

Know the signs to keep yourself safe

Rebekah Jordan

Rebekah Jordan

With more scams getting more convincing every day, it pays to be aware of what to look out for to keep your money safe and avoid being a victim of these tactics.

According to a report by computer software company Yubico, nearly half of those surveyed globally admitted to falling victim to a cyberattack or scam.

In a poll of 20,000 employed adults worldwide, 45% reported that their personal data, such as banking or email account information, had been compromised by a hacking attempt or scam.

And it's showing no signs of slowing down. If anything, phishing is getting smarter.

Advert

Phishing is where a cybercriminal sends a deceptive message to trick someone into giving sensitive information like bank account details or access to their tech.

Email scams are getting more and more advanced (Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty)
Email scams are getting more and more advanced (Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty)

A recent study from the email validation platform ZeroBounce analysed email datasets to identify the most common and dangerous words used in phishing emails.

The team measured the frequency of the word, the click-through rate (CTR) and infection/damage rate.

Advert

The most dangerous words to look out for were:

  • money
  • investment
  • credit
  • billion
  • free
  • loan
  • debt
  • cash
  • cost
  • income

Coming out on top was 'money' with an 83.56% infection/damage rate and the second-highest appearance and CTR.

'Income' had the highest CTR at 4.68% despite a moderate appearance frequency of 267.

Advert

Other high-risk words included 'investment,' 'credit,' 'billion' and 'free.'

Interestingly, 'free' appeared the most frequently at 2,266 times but in fact, had the lowest CTR of just 0.56%.

45% of adults report their details being compromised in an online scam (SEAN GLADWELL via Getty)
45% of adults report their details being compromised in an online scam (SEAN GLADWELL via Getty)

Meanwhile, 'billion' appeared the least but had a strong CTR of 3.97%.

Advert

Other words that still made the list, popping up regularly in scam emails were 'loan,' 'debt,' 'cash,' 'cost' and 'income.'

So how can you protect yourself against these types of scams?

According to ConsumerAffairs, the best way we can steer clear of falling victim is by sticking to a few simple rules:


  • Think before you click - Hover over links to see if they come from a trusted source. If in doubt, don't click.
  • Don't share information - Never give out financial or personal details in response to an email you don't recognise.
  • Use multiple email addresses - Having separate email addresses for personal, online shopping and work for example can reduce the chances of losing a lot of data in a hacking attempt.
  • Install an email blocking app - An additional app on top of your email app can filter out scam emails.
  • Keep your browser updated - An up-to-date browser can warn you about suspicious websites that you might visit from email links.
Featured Image Credit: Catherine Falls Commercial / SEAN GLADWELL via Getty
Cybersecurity

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

4 hours ago
5 hours ago
  • 4 hours ago

    US deals with security breach as AI scammer impersonates Secretary of State Marco Rubio to foreign ministers

    The scammer was sending AI-generated voicemails

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Investor who sold revolutionary tech for 300 Bitcoin is worth a small fortune decade later

    He's been all in on Bitcoin since he was 12

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Tragic story of once bustling California town left 90% destroyed by one small piece of metal

    The fire tragically claimed the lives of 85 people

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Man branded 'dishonest and deceitful' fired after company discovered he was faking over 100 hours of work at home

    A warning to others who think they can slack off when working from home

    News
  • You should delete these 5 pre-installed apps if your iPhone is beginning to slow down
  • Three warning signs that mean you should turn your phone off immediately
  • Crucial reason you should never delete spam emails
  • Security expert explains alarming reason why you should never charge your phone at an airport