According to a recent article published in the Independent, thousands of computers in the UK may be at risk from a new and highly sophisticated email scam that has been nicknamed the “peter pan virus”. This is the latest in a long run of phishing scams that are ever growing in both cunning and number.

Phishing scams are typically fraudulent emails that appear to come from legitimate sources and are designed to acquire sensitive information from you, such as your passwords and credit card details. They typically urge you to click on a link within the email which will then take you to a website that will ask you for your personal details or which contains malware, causing numerous problems for you and your computer. However there are a number of steps you can take to help protect yourself from email scams. Here we give a quick guide to some things to look out for to help you avoid them.

When it comes to protecting yourself from email scams such as phishing emails, being able to recognise these potential threats is key. Luckily there are a number of general things to look out for that can alert you. For example you should be wary of any email asking you to disclose personal information, no matter how legitimate it may look. Most genuine companies such as banks have strict policies about acquiring such information and will not ask you for such details via email.

It’s also always a good idea to take a close look at the senders address. Sophisticated phishing scams often use email addresses very similar to the addresses of the companies they are trying to mimic in a deliberate attempt to mislead you.

Often these emails also contain urgent language, given that the criminals behind such operations want you to act as quickly as possible, hence it is important to watch out for emails proclaiming that urgent action is required. Bad grammar and spelling in emails should also alert you to a potential scam.

Unlike legitimate companies the fraudsters behind email scams typically do not personalise their emails; this is because they may be sending a large number of emails to different recipients at the same time, hence you should also be suspicious of emails with nonspecific greetings.

It is also important to remember that if you receive an email offering you something that seems to be too good to be true, then unfortunately the chances are that it probably is.

Unfortunately email scams such as phishing scams continue to be a significant problem for individuals and companies worldwide and criminals are inventing ever more sophisticated methods of creating them. If the computers you use for your business fall victim to an email scam then this can have serious consequences for both their security and operation, and they may become infected with viruses or malware. However, here at Tristar IT Support we are IT specialists and have many years experience of providing IT support in London, so we can help you to resolve any issues that might arise. For more information about our range of services please do not hesitate to contact us and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.