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What is email spoofing? 

When an email looks like it’s from a business or promotion, but actually comes from a fraudster, it’s called spoofing.

Email spoofing is used in phishing and spam campaigns because people are more likely to open an email and/or click a link in the email when they think it has been sent by a legitimate source.

The goal of email spoofing is to get recipients to capture your login credentials and passwords. They want the email to look real so that you open, click thru, and even respond.

How to spot email spoofing

A spoofing email asks you to click a link to a webpage that doesn’t have the correct domain or isn’t the company’s web site.

Hint: Hover over links in an email to see where they are going to take you before you click. The email may also come with an attachment which is malware or a virus.

The sending email does not use a correct domain after the “@”.

The web address doesn’t use “https” (secure connection).

You’re asked to verify information through a link. Instead, go directly to the known and trusted website, not a link that was provided to you. 

Recent scam targets Numerica emails

A Numerica email was a recent victim of spoofing. The email appears to come from Numerica, but hovering on the link shows that the sending address is fraudulent. This email is specifically designed to get login information. 

When you hover on the “Verify your account” link, you will see it is not Numerica’s web address.

Email spoofing detection

Understanding spoofing is the first step. Now you know how to:

• See how spoofing is used in phishing attempts
• Hover over links to confirm websites
• Double check domain addresses
• Spot a secure connection

We understand that a situation like this creates stress and anxiety about the safety of your account information.

If you have further questions about this or any other correspondence that looks suspicious, please visit your favorite branch or call us at 800.433.1837.