A quick way to identify spam emails

Many spam emails these days look genuine, however the thing that they can't fake is the web address that they want you to go to, so they try all sorts of tactics to make their link look like it's real. Here's how I determine if the email is spam or not.

Links are made up of two parts

The bit you see on a page (link text) and the actual URL that you end up going to if you click it (link URL).

Link text

Link text is just what simply displays on the page, whereas the link URL is where you actually end up. Link text can be anything. A link could go to the BBC.co.uk website but the link text could say something like heloooooooooo.co.uk.

Link URL - and how to get it

Right click on the link and 'copy URL to clipboard'. Then, in a text editor (or blank email) simply paste the URL so that you can expect it.

It might look something like one to these:

barclaysbank1.net/reset-password
baclays.co.uk/something-here
barclays.web-secure-server-6.co.uk/please-reset-password

NONE of these are legitimate Barclays links - so do not click on them or log-in at those links... because that's how they will steal your passwords!


So how do you tell if the link is genuine?

Well firstly, your bank will never send you a link to sign-in via email. Instead you can just go to their website as you normally would (googling should be fine) and THEN log in for any specific messages or actions they want you to undertake.

Secondly, you can compare the URL that you copied, to the real URL if you know it. The important bit is the bit just before the last .co.uk or .com

These are genuine bank URLs:

http://www.lloydsbank.com
http://www.barclays.co.uk

These are not:

http://www.lloydsbank.securityservice.com
http://www.barclays.secureloginservice.co.uk

But ideally, just go to the bank's website that you know, or use Google to get you the correct address.

Hope that helps someone

Re: A quick way to identify spam emails

Here is a quick test - can anyone tell me if this link is genuine or not? (and why)

http://www.barclays.co.uk

Re: A quick way to identify spam emails

Not genuine, link text is: http://www.barclays.secureloginservice.co.uk

Re: A quick way to identify spam emails

Genuine ?

Re: A quick way to identify spam emails

banks usually send via post office letters, never by email as far as I know.
If you do get a bank email with a phone number to ring DON'T EVER DO IT

Look up you bank tele number from letters sent and ring them instead.

Re: A quick way to identify spam emails

Hi Azz,

Thanks for posting this, I have printed it and put it in my SPAM/Identity Fraud/Con merchant file

One questio I have is:-
Why do the people who run e-mail systems allow "Link Text" as an address, surely if you were prevented from going to another site except by clicking on the full correct URL then at least it would be easier to spot these criminals. I do agree that you would still need to know what was a legitimate URL and what was not. But it might make one think before clicking.

I think the internet is a bit like the 1850's in California, everyone rushing to find gold and fraudsters, con men, and outright criminals left right and centre

Re: A quick way to identify spam emails

Good advice but to be honest I've given up on phoning my bank now, so many press this for that, enter A/c number, sort code, and when it comes to the auto voice I just go crazy, I have never (and I do mean never) had a query which that stupid 'voice' can recognise, I mean who ever uses them

And when you do eventually get through to a 'human' they just ask you all the same information AGAIN

I am not kidding when I say that if I can't get an answer by going on line and looking at my accounts it's quicker and far better for my blood pressure to jump in the car and drive to my nearest branch which I have done a few times I can assure you. (About 25 minutes against at least 30 to 45 on the phone)

Re: A quick way to identify spam emails

I bank online and messages to me from the Bank are left to be picked up when I log on to my account, they never send emails.
I do occasionally get letters in the posts as well.

Re: A quick way to identify spam emails

It's easy for me to identify a spam bank e-mail, I don't do internet banking...so they all are, the one I get the most spam from is "paypal" I have lots of them in different guises in my blocked sender folder but they still keep coming.

Re: A quick way to identify spam emails

One good way of knowing its a scam e mail is
because I have never given any bank my e mail address.
No brainer there

I am annoyed that someone or somewhere my e mail has been
passed on to a sex site. So I can have sex with a man or a woman
They don't know who I am quite obvious.

I just put these cra-p mails to my block on my e mail site.
They don't come back again - hooray.