How to Avoid Domain Verification Phishing Email Scams

Mar 9th, 2016
Debra Carpenter
As Seen in The Hosting News

If you’re concerned about a recent email you’ve received that asks you to confirm personal information or verify your domain, it’s likely a scam. Domain verification phishing emails are often used to obtain login information from unknowing email receivers who don’t want an interruption in their domain service and quickly login to confirm their information without checking into the validity of the email or sender. You need to do your research to verify that an email is legitimate before complying with any request for information via email. We outline the steps to avoiding domain verification phishing email scams below.

How to Avoid Domain Verification Phishing Scams

Be suspicious of the right emails. Look closely at emails that:

1. Are sent from an address you don’t recognize, or a spammy address
2. Ask you to confirm personal or login information
3. Request or demand urgent action
4. Provide some type of penalty or consequence of not complying
5. Aren’t personalized

These 5 indicators are reason to be highly suspicious of an email and if you notice any of them, you should refrain from sending information until you’ve confirmed that the email is legitimate. You can do this by sending an email to the company the email claims to represent and ask them to confirm, or call customer service and handle their request over the phone. Do not use any phone numbers, links, or email addresses in the suspicious email. Go directly to the company’s website to find your contact information.

Demand security online

Don’t communicate any personal information online though unsecured websites. Look for the green icon in the URL bar when you visit the website. Ensure that the website is secure before proceeding to enter any personal, identifying, or confidential information.

3 ways to browse securely

• Do not click links in emails from unknown senders
• Don’t click links in emails you don’t trust. Go to the website directly from your URL bar
• When in doubt, forward the email to the company it’s claiming to be from and ask for verification