Athel Anderson

That Email From Your Bank? It's Probably Fake (And Here's How to Tell)

2025-10-02 • Athel Anderson • scam, hoax, email security, email, phishing

That Email From Your Bank? It's Probably Fake (And Here's How to Tell)

Last week, a neighbor almost sent $2,500 to scammers. The email looked perfect—official bank logo, professional formatting, even a phone number that seemed legitimate. She was thirty seconds away from clicking "Confirm Transfer" when something made her pause.

That pause saved her retirement fund.

Email scams aren't just getting more common—they're getting smarter. After 40 years in IT, I've seen every trick in the book. The good news? Once you know what to look for, these scams become laughably obvious.

The Five Red Flags That Never Lie

1. They Want You to Panic

Real banks don't send emails that scream "URGENT: Account will be closed in 24 hours!" Scammers love panic because panicked people don't think clearly.

What to do: If an email makes your heart race, that's your first clue. Take a breath. Real emergencies don't arrive via email.

2. The Email Address Doesn't Match

Here's where most scammers trip up. The email might say "Chase Bank" in the name, but the actual address is something like chase-security@mail-verification.net.

How to check: Hover your mouse over the sender's name (don't click). The real email address will pop up. Your bank's email should end with their actual domain—like @chase.com, not some weird variation.

3. Generic Greetings

"Dear Valued Customer" or "Dear Account Holder" is a massive red flag. Your bank knows your name. They use it.

Scammers send these emails to thousands of people at once. They don't know who you are.

4. Suspicious Links

The email says "Click here to verify your account." Where does that link actually go?

The hover trick: Put your mouse over any link (don't click). Look at the bottom of your screen or the tooltip that appears. Does it show your bank's real website? If you see a long string of random characters or a shortened URL (bit.ly, tinyurl), it's fake.

Better yet: Never click links in emails. If your bank says there's a problem, open your browser and type in their website address yourself.

5. They're Asking for Information Your Bank Already Has

Your bank knows your account number. They know your Social Security number. They will NEVER ask you to "confirm" this information via email.

If an email asks for passwords, PINs, Social Security numbers, or full account numbers—it's 100% a scam. No exceptions.

Real-World Example: What a Scam Looks Like

Here's an email I received last month:

Subject: "Unusual Activity Detected - Verify Now"

From: "Amazon Security" <security@amaz0n-verification.com> (Notice the zero instead of an 'o')

Message: "We've detected suspicious activity on your account. Click here immediately to confirm your identity or your account will be suspended."

The red flags:

  • Creates panic (suspended account!)
  • Fake email address (amaz0n with a zero)
  • Generic greeting ("Dear Customer")
  • Suspicious link
  • Threatens account closure

    • I deleted it in three seconds.

    What to Do If You're Not Sure

    1. Don't click anything in the email 2. Open a new browser window 3. Type in the company's website yourself (like amazon.com or yourbank.com) 4. Log in to your account the normal way 5. Check for actual alerts or messages

    If there's really a problem, you'll see it when you log in directly. Nine times out of ten, there's nothing wrong—it was just a scam.

    The One-Minute Rule

    I tell everyone: If an email wants you to do something urgently, give yourself one minute to think.

  • Read it twice
  • Check the sender's address
  • Ask yourself: "Did I expect this email?"
  • When in doubt, call the company directly using the number from their official website

    • One minute of skepticism can save you thousands of dollars.

    What If You Already Clicked?

    Don't panic. But do act fast:

    1. Change your passwords immediately (for email, banking, any accounts mentioned) 2. Call your bank and tell them what happened 3. Monitor your accounts daily for the next few weeks 4. Consider a credit freeze if you gave away sensitive information

    Most banks have fraud protection, especially if you report it quickly.

    The Bottom Line

    Email scams work because they're designed to make you stop thinking and start clicking. Your best defense is simple: pause, question, verify.

    Your bank will never:

  • Email you asking for passwords or account numbers
  • Threaten to close your account without multiple warnings
  • Ask you to click a link to "verify" anything
  • Create panic with urgent subject lines

If an email does any of these things, it's fake. Delete it.

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Coming Next Week: Text message scams are exploding—and they're even trickier than email. I'll show you exactly how to spot fake texts from "your bank," "Amazon," and even "your own phone company." The tactics are different, and you need to know what to watch for.

Want to make sure you don't miss it? Drop your email in the box below and I'll send you a quick heads-up when the texting scam article goes live. (And no, I won't spam you—that would be ironic.)

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Have a question about a suspicious email? Contact me and I'll get in touch. I've seen thousands of these scams over 40 years in IT, and I'm happy to take a look.

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