ALL Gmail and Outlook users have been warned to watch out for the latest nasty trick sweeping inboxes across the globe.
And you only need to spot two words in the title to know that a cyber crook is trying to catch you out.
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The scam that’s taking hold at the moment are so-called mystery boxes.
These hook users with tempting free giveaways for well-known brands like Apple and Shein.
The only “reward” they lead to are phishing websites designed to steal your personal information
Action Fraud UK
Sometimes they offer free stuff in exchange for doing a simple survey.
However, it’s all a big ruse to get hold of your personal details and ultimately raid your bank account.
So if you see emails with “mystery box” mentioned in the title you should probably ignore and delete it.
Even better, forward it onto [email protected] so experts can investigate and ban the sender.
Action Fraud UK says: “Watch out for these fake emails claiming you’ve won a “mystery box” of free prizes.
“The only “reward” they lead to are phishing websites designed to steal your personal information.”
Action Fraud UK also revealed that it’s received more than 7,900 reports about scam emails impersonating well-known retail brands.
So far, these reports have led to the removal of over 306,000 websites.
How to protect yourself from scams
BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:
- Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- Check brands are “verified” on Facebook and Twitter pages – this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
- If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
- To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
- If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
- If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool.