Firstly: It doesn’t feel right.
You receive an email with a subject line like “I thought you’d get a laugh out of this.” Inside is a link or attachment supposedly promising hilarity. EXCEPT – it comes from a person who never sends you this type of thing.
Generic greetings: When somebody who knows your name calls you ‘Dear colleague’ or Dear valued customer’, the hair on the back of your neck should stand up.
Unlikely ‘stories’: Trust me – no Nigerian Prince with 100 million dollars in a frozen account is going to contact you and offer a healthy reward for sending him 5 thousand bucks to free his funds. Ain’t Gonna Happen.
Bad spelling and grammar: It seems strange, but crooks can’t spell – maybe English is not their first language.
Inexact address: If you think you received an email from IT Support LA, and the sender’s address is ‘joe@itsuportla.com’. It seems silly, but we get about 4-5 calls a year from hardware or software vendors following up on a fraudulent purchase order. Easily identified by asking the vendor if there is only one P in ‘support’.
Seeks sensitive information: Any entity that asks you to verify your account number or password is highly suspect. The IRS is NOT going to email you to have you confirm your Social Security Number (SSN). EVER.
The FBI offers a fount of information on this subject HERE. Psst! Don’t give them your SSN either.