When scrolling through your emails, you might find a few that seem a little suspicious. Most often, these emails are filtered into your SPAM folder, but sometimes you will come across a phishing scam. A phishing scam is an attempt to acquire another’s personal information for illegal use. Phishing scams will usually ask for information on your usernames and passwords, bank account details, your birthdate and other identifying information. Giving this information to the wrong people puts you at risk of identity fraud.
With all the information requests and data sharing during closing, you may be more susceptible to being phished. Learn to spot a phishing attempt using the following tips:
Look before you click
If you ever have to question if an email is a scam, it probably is. But if you want to check to make sure, hover your mouse (don’t click) over any suspicious links and analyze them. To what address are they actually sending you? Along with links, don’t open any included attachments as they may contain viruses.
Is the email personal?
Most credible emails you come across will establish a personal connection. Legitimate businesses will likely use personal salutations including your first and last name. Phishing attempts typically use generic greetings, such as “Valued Customer”.
The email has improper spelling
If an email from a business or corporations has misspellings, this is a red flag. These may be obvious misspellings, but they can also be hidden so be sure to read carefully!
The email advises you to take immediate action
Sometimes phishing scams will try to trick you by saying you are at risk or something has happened to your personal account. They may ask you to take action immediately to save your personal information. If you come across a message asking for personal information to protect your account, ignore it!
If you encounter any emails with phishing characteristics during closing, contact your title agency immediately! Mutual Title Agency works with you during the closing process to prevent any scams. If you are interested in using Mutual Title, contact us today.