NORFOLK, Va. — We all need to be cautious of every email and digital message we receive, especially if it’s from someone unknown.
As a consumer reporter, I am well-versed in the latest scams, but even I gave a recent email a double take.
It was unsolicited and showed several red flags, but I had just ordered a gift for a friend on Etsy, so I thought “maybe the email was from the seller.”
Before doing anything, I asked two consumer protection agencies to analyze the email and its validity.
Eva Velasquez is the CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that supports victims of identity theft, fraud, and scams.
"Well, I took one look at it and of course thought, ‘well, this is a scam,’ but the biggest clue really is your reaction to it. You weren't expecting this. This was incoming communication that you didn't initiate, and you weren't expecting it," Velasquez said.
I told Velasquez I did not click on anything, but the email made me pause because of my recent Etsy order.
"That is the timing piece that these bad actors are banking on. They really aren't following your activity online with these phishing emails -- they're just hoping that they get you in the right set of circumstances and the right timeline," Velasquez said.
I found it helpful to ignore the email. I also checked the Etsy app and didn’t see any unread messages or notifications.
"That is a fantastic attitude because that is one of the things that the bad guys will try to do -- is create the sense of urgency," Velasquez said.
"If it's legitimate, if there really is someone who's trying to get in touch with you for something legitimate, believe me, they will keep trying," Velasquez said.
Velasquez says anyone can be scammed and what is most important is your digital literacy.
"It's not about your demographics. It's not about how old you are, what zip code you live in, any of those types of things. It's about how you engage with the digital world," Velasquez said. “There are some older folks who maybe aren't using a lot of technology, and so the few things that come in that cross their path are very, very confusing and they need help with that. And then there are others who are power users,” Velasquez said.
Velasquez also advised not to spend too much time trying to find small errors in an email, like zeros replaced with the letter "O" or other spelling mistakes. She said artificial intelligence is changing the game and getting rid of those common red flags.
If you receive a suspicious email, go directly to the source or just ignore it.
The Better Business Bureau of Greater Hampton Roads also said the email appears to be a scam and shared tips to spot the red flags of fake text messages.
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