How to Spot a Scam Email in Under 10 Seconds

Scam emails are one of the biggest threats to small businesses—and one of the easiest to prevent once you know what to look for.

Here are five red flags that can help you recognize a phishing attempt fast.

1️⃣ Generic Greetings

“Dear Customer” or “Hello User” is a red flag—your actual vendors know your name.

2️⃣ Urgent Language

“Your account will be closed in 12 hours” or “You must act now!” is designed to panic you. Take a breath and double-check before clicking anything.

3️⃣ Sketchy Links

Hover over the link before clicking. If it goes somewhere unfamiliar—or just looks off—don’t click.

4️⃣ Suspicious Attachments

Unexpected invoices, resumes, or shipping documents? If you weren’t expecting it, don’t open it.

5️⃣ Email Address Sleight-of-Hand

Look closely: @yourbank.com vs. @yourbánk.co. One’s real, one’s a fake with a sneaky accent mark. Scammers get creative.

Pro tip: When in doubt, call the sender—using a number you already know, not the one in the email.

Want your team to get smarter about scams? We offer short, no-stress security training for small businesses.