How Do I Identify Spam, Phishing, & Virus Emails?

<script type="application/json" id="kb_ai_metadata">
"product_name": "email",
"task_type": "conceptual",
"keywords": ["spam-filter", "phishing", "virus", "login", "password", "dns", "txt-record", "email-forwarding", "cannot-receive-email", "cannot-send-email"],
"status": "current",
"is_recommended": "true"
</script>
<style type="text/css">p, div, ol, ul, li {
    font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
    font-size: 14px;
}
.alert-warning {
    color: #664d03;
    font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
    font-size: 14px;
}
.alert-primary {
    color: #084298;
    font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
    font-size: 14px;
}
.fixed {
    position: static;
}
.btn-outline-primary {
    border: 1px solid #084298;
    color: #084298;
    background: transparent;
    padding: 2px 8px;
    font-size: 13px;
    border-radius: 3px;
    text-decoration: none;
}
</style>
<section>
<p>In today's digital world, where our inboxes overflow with emails, identifying spam, phishing, and virus emails is crucial for online safety. These deceptive messages can trick you into revealing personal information, downloading malware, or falling victim to financial scams. Understanding the different types and their red flags equips you to create a strong defense against these online threats. This guide will be your comprehensive toolkit for recognizing malicious emails and keeping your information safe.</p>

<div class="alert alert-warning">If you are unsure of an email:
<ul>
	<li>Do NOT click on suspicious email links or open attachments.</li>
	<li>If you have received an email from a sender using our name or if the email seems questionable, please report it at <a href="https://www.newfold.com/abuse" target="_blank">https://newfold.com/abuse</a>.</li>
	<li>If you unintentionally click on a link, you need to leave the page and reset the passwords for all your connected services, including Account Manager and email accounts. After that, you should scan your linked devices and networks for viruses and malware.</li>
</ul>
</div>

<p>Our team constantly identifies spam, phishing, and virus emails, updates spammer directories, and blocks known malicious content. You should, however, recognize these messages for your own safety. Please see explanations and examples of different types of email messages below.</p>

<p>In this article, we will discuss:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="#phishing">What is Phishing?</a>

	<ul>
		<li><a href="#spear-phishing">What is Spear Phishing?</a></li>
		<li><a href="#domain-phishing">What is Domain Phishing?</a></li>
		<li><a href="#phishing-email-received">What to do if a Phishing Email is Received?</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="#virus-attached-email">What is a Virus-Attached Email?</a>
	<ul>
		<li><a href="#virus-attached-email-received">What to do if a Virus-Attached Email is Received?</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="#spam">What is Spam?</a>
	<ul>
		<li><a href="#spam-received">What to do if Spam is Received?</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="#spoofing">What is Spoofing?</a>
	<ul>
		<li><a href="#email-address-was-used-in-a-spoofing-campaign">How can you tell if your email address was used in a spoofing campaign?</a></li>
		<li><a href="#avoid-becoming-a-spoofing-victim">How can I avoid becoming a spoofing victim?</a></li>
		<li><a href="#spoofing-email-received">What to do if a Spoofing Email is Received?</a></li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><a href="#review">Review</a></li>
</ul>
</section>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h2><a id="phishing"></a><strong>What is Phishing?</strong></h2>

<p>A phishing email is a type of spam email that:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Attempts to collect personal data, like usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, or home addresses, and</li>
	<li>Plans to access a bank account or email address in order to commit fraud or other illicit activity.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Phishing email example:</strong></p>

<p>Phishing emails ask for information like usernames, passwords, code words, or PINs. They may occasionally contain a link that launches a new window. The link in the email sample below will take you to a login page where you can enter data that will be saved and possibly used to try to access your account.</p>

<p><img alt="Phishing Email Example" src="https://content.networksolutions.com/netsol/img/email/professionalemail/phishing-email-example.png" style="max-width: 80%;" /></p>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h3><a id="spear-phishing"></a>What is Spear Phishing?</h3>

<p>"Spear" phishing emails target specific companies, organizations, or individuals. They:</p>

<ul>
	<li>It contains misleading information addressed directly to an organization, usually claiming to be from local IT support staff.</li>
	<li>Ask you to reconfirm/validate your login details, including passwords,</li>
	<li>Might ask you to click a link to open a website,</li>
	<li>May sound urgent or menacing, and</li>
	<li>May have a few minor spelling or grammar mistakes, but</li>
	<li>It can look like a real corporate email.</li>
</ul>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h3><a id="domain-phishing"></a>What is Domain Phishing?</h3>

<p>In some cases, a third party may attempt to steal your domains by sending you fake abuse emails. Please note these emails are fake and are not sent by Network Solutions.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Do not click on any links</li>
	<li>Do not reply to the email</li>
	<li>Do not call any phone numbers listed within the email</li>
</ul>

<p>Head to our blog to learn more about what phishing is and how to identify these scams. In our detailed post, we explain exactly <a href="https://www.networksolutions.com/blog/protect/cybersecurity/don-t-fall-for-phishing--how-to-stay-safe-online" target="_blank">what is phishing</a> and provide more tips on how to recognize and avoid these deceptive schemes.</p>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h3><a id="phishing-email-received"></a>What to do if a Phishing Email is Received?</h3>

<p>If you have received suspicious/questionable emails, please <strong>do not click on any links</strong> and <strong>delete</strong> them right away. Your security is our top priority, and we will never ask for your user ID, password, or credit card information through email or text.</p>

<div class="alert alert-primary"><strong>Note:</strong>

<ul>
	<li>You should always confirm any strange emails you get regarding your account or the services it is linked to by signing into your Account Manager.</li>
	<li>If needed to report phishing through support, check this article on how to export an email using a .EML file: <a href="https://www.networksolutions.com/help/article/move-copy-and-import-emails-on-cloud-mail" target="_blank">How to Move, Copy, Import, and Export Emails on Cloud Mail</a>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h2><a id="virus-attached-email"></a><strong>What is a Virus-Attached Email?</strong></h2>

<p>Most computer infections originated from emails and are activated by malicious code when:</p>

<ul>
	<li>The email has been opened, and the user clicks on one of the links,</li>
	<li>Downloads a file from an email, or</li>
	<li>Interacts in some other way with the body of an infected email.</li>
</ul>

<p>Virus emails are frequently configured to be sent to all addresses in the victim's contact book. Once they're on your computer, viruses can grow in number fast.</p>

<p><img alt="Virus Attachment Example" src="https://content.networksolutions.com/netsol/img/email/professionalemail/virus-attached-email.png" style="max-width: 80%;" /></p>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h3><a id="virus-attached-email-received"></a>What to do if a Virus-Attached Email is Received?</h3>

<p>It is imperative that you DO NOT open any links in an email that has a virus attached. Remove&nbsp;the message and immediately block the sender.</p>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h2><a id="spam"></a><strong>What is Spam?</strong></h2>

<p>Spam is email that:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Is sent to many people,</li>
	<li>Is not welcome or relevant, and</li>
	<li>Try to sell you something.</li>
</ul>

<p>Spam often shows up in a Spam/Junk folder; however, this is not always the case. By examining the email subject header, spam may be quickly identified. Generally speaking, spam won't harm a computer unless you receive an excessive amount of it and it exceeds your email capacity. A link to a harmful website or attachment, such as one that has a virus, can also be found in spam.</p>

<div class="alert alert-warning"><strong>Warning</strong>: Be wary of links and attachments in emails, especially those that appear to be spam.</div>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h3><a id="spam-received"></a>What to do if Spam is Received?</h3>

<p>If spam emails occasionally appear in your mailbox, you can do any of the following:</p>

<ol>
	<li>Add the sender's email address to your blacklist.</li>
	<li>Get rid of the email.</li>
</ol>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h2><a id="spoofing"></a><strong>What is Spoofing?</strong></h2>

<p>Email spoofing is a deceptive technique where attackers manipulate email headers to disguise their identity and impersonate a trusted sender. They:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Alter the sender's address to display a recognizable and trusted name. This could be from your company, bank, a colleague, etc.</li>
	<li>Might impersonate someone you know to pressure you into financial transactions or wire transfers.</li>
	<li>It might be created to appear genuine. Attackers may use logos, branding elements, and similar formats to mimic real emails.</li>
	<li>Exploit your trust in the sender's identity.</li>
</ul>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h3><a id="email-address-was-used-in-a-spoofing-campaign"></a>How can you tell if your email address was used in a spoofing campaign?</h3>

<p>Your inbox may all of a sudden get flooded by bounce messages listing a variety of reasons why the messages are getting bounced. This typically does NOT mean that your personal computer has been hacked. If you are concerned, you should immediately change your email account password to be safe.</p>

<p>If you have access to your <a href="https://www.networksolutions.com/help/article/all-about-email-headers" target="_blank">email header</a>, you can often spot issues. In the example below:</p>

<ul>
	<li>The addresses <strong>From:</strong> and <strong>Reply-To:</strong> are different.</li>
	<li>You may think you are writing to <strong>yourboss@example1.com</strong>.</li>
	<li>But in reality, your response is going to <strong>badguy@example2.com</strong>.</li>
</ul>

<div class="panel panel-default">
<div class="panel-body">
<pre class="ckeditor_codeblock">
mail from: user1@example1.com
rcpt to: badguy@example2.com
data

From: YourBoss &lt;yourboss@example1.com&gt;
Subject: Raise!
Date: February 13, 2019 3:30:58 PM EDT
To: user1 &lt;user1@example1.com&gt;
Reply-To: YourBoss &lt;badguy@example2.com&gt;

Hi User1

Please reply to this message for details on your raise.
Regards,
YourBoss
    </pre>
</div>
</div>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h3><a id="avoid-becoming-a-spoofing-victim"></a>How can I avoid becoming a spoofing victim?</h3>

<ol>
	<li>Keep your antivirus software updated.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.networksolutions.com/help/article/manage-dns-adns-records" target="_blank">Add a TXT/SPF Record to your DNS</a>.</li>
	<li>Never respond to or click a link in a suspicious email.</li>
	<li>If you are in doubt about the authenticity of an email, contact the friend or business for verification separately.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.networksolutions.com/help/article/cloud-mail-password-requirements" target="_blank">Change your email password frequently</a>.</li>
</ol>

<p>There is nothing you can do once an email has been spoofed. The bounced emails you receive may contain information that could be useful for tracking down the source of the email. They often come from infected computers, so getting the exact location of the spammer is pretty low. You may also find the IP address where the message originated, check which ISP it belongs to, and see if they would be willing to blacklist the IP address.</p>

<p>This will continue to be an issue until stronger email protocols are in place.</p>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section data-content-status="current" data-interface-context="webmail" data-product-context="email" data-solution-type="primary">
<h3><a id="spoofing-email-received"></a>What to do if a Spoofing Email is Received?</h3>

<p>Spoofing emails can be tricky, but by following these steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Do not reply to the email or click any links or attachments.</li>
	<li>Verify the Sender. Check the actual email address in the message header.</li>
	<li>Use the "report spam" or "phishing" function to flag the email.</li>
	<li>Safely delete the email once you've reported it.</li>
</ul>
</section>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<section>
<h2><a id="review"></a><strong>Review</strong></h2>

<p>Knowing how to identify spam, phishing, and virus emails is essential to staying safe online. If you need clarification on an email you've received, it's best to be cautious and not click on any links or open any attachments. You should also avoid replying to these emails. Instead, report them to your email provider and delete them right away. Stay alert and protect yourself from online threats!</p>

<div class="fixed"><a class="btn btn-outline-primary btn-sm fixed" href="#top" role="button">Back to Top ↑</a></div>
</section>