How to tell if an email is from a scammer are on the lookout for ways to steal your personal information. But it’s not so clear-cut to spot an email that’s from a shady character. Here are a few quick tips that can help you identify spam.

First and foremost, check the ‘From’ or ‘Reply-To’ address. Scammers will often change the name on the email to disguise their identity and get around spam filters. Check for small changes such as adding a period to the end of an email or replacing a letter with a similar-looking number (e.g. substituting an “l” with a “1”).

Often times, scammers will try to create a sense of urgency to encourage you to act quickly. For example, they may claim that a service you use is down or your bank account balance is about to be overdrawn. They can even use the ‘from’ or’reply-to’ address of a well-known company to make their message seem more credible.

Don’t Get Tricked: How to Tell If an Email is from a Scammer and Protect Your Personal Information

If the email comes from a well-known company, it’s worth checking their website directly to see if the issue is genuine. You can also do a simple search to find out more about the company and what their normal practices are if you have any doubts. As an extra level of security, you can hover your mouse over the hyperlink in the text to make sure the URL displayed matches the one on their website. If it doesn’t, this is a sign that the link could lead to a malicious site.