Scam Emails: How Not to End Up Sending Your Life Savings to a Nigerian Prince.

Ah, email scams. The cockroaches of the digital world. No matter how hard you try to stomp them out, they keep coming back, more resilient and annoying than ever.

And thanks to AI, the days of spotting a scam because of laughable spelling mistakes and dodgy grammar are coming to an end. The scammers have upgraded, and so must we.

So, here’s how to stay ahead of the game and avoid giving your bank details to some bloke in a dark room who thinks he’s clever.

1. The ‘Too Good to Be True’ Syndrome

If you get an email telling you that you’ve won a lottery you never entered or that a Nigerian prince wants to share his wealth with you, congratulations! You’ve been selected… to be scammed. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. No one gives away free money, especially not strangers on the internet.

2. The Urgent Call to Action

Scammers love a bit of pressure. “Your account will be suspended in 24 hours!” “Immediate action required to avoid legal action!” Absolute rubbish. Real companies don’t operate like this. They send you a polite reminder or a friendly nudge, not a virtual threat note demanding you click a link NOW or face financial doom.

3. Suspicious Sender Addresses

Once upon a time, scammers weren’t the brightest bunch, and their email addresses looked like they’d been created by a cat walking across a keyboard. Now, they’re sneakier. They use addresses that look real but have subtle typos, like “support@paypai.com” instead of “support@paypal.com.” A quick hover over the sender’s email address (without clicking anything, obviously) can reveal all.

4. Dodgy Links and Attachments

Clicking unknown links is the digital equivalent of licking a random door handle—it’s just a bad idea. Always hover over a link before clicking to see where it really leads. If it looks like someone has smashed a keyboard to create the URL, it’s probably a scam. And attachments? Unless you’re expecting one, don’t open it. That “invoice” could be a one-way ticket to malware town.

5. The AI Factor: Perfectly Written Lies

In the old days, a scam email was easy to spot because it read like a poorly translated instruction manual. But now, with AI writing better English than most people, scammers are churning out emails that look completely legit. No spelling mistakes. No grammar disasters. Just smooth, convincing text designed to fool you. So, you need to look deeper—scrutinize the sender, the request, and the legitimacy of the message itself.

6. Trust Your Gut (and Your Common Sense)

If an email makes you feel uneasy, trust that instinct. When in doubt, go directly to the company’s website and contact them through official channels. Never, ever click on links or provide personal details unless you’re 100% sure the request is legitimate.

Final Thoughts

Scammers are getting smarter, but you can be smarter too. Stay skeptical, double-check everything, and remember—no Nigerian prince is waiting to make you rich.

If you ever feel tempted to believe a too-good-to-be-true email, it doesn’t hurt to get someone else’s opinion. Ask a friend, colleague or your friendly neighbourhood web developer (I get asked often). Spending an extra little bit of time checking an email could save you a whole lot of heartache in the end.