Trick or Treat? How to Tell a Real Email from a Scam

In our recent post, Tech Support Scam Alert: How Twin Cities Residents Can Spot It, we mentioned that these scams don’t always start with a phone call or a pop-up. Sometimes they start with an email that looks completely harmless, like a confirmation for a large order or subscription renewal you never made. Email is such an easy way in that we wanted to give it a deeper dive of its own. Think of this as the in-depth companion piece.

These fake order and subscription emails are especially common right now. Scammers know the format feels familiar and urgent enough to get people to act before they think.

And with the leaves turning and Halloween around the corner, the timing fits. It’s the one night of the year when strangers knock on your door and you hand them something without thinking twice. Scammers have figured out that your inbox works the same way: the message shows up in a friendly costume, and the pressure is on to open the door. The difference is that in your inbox, a “trick” can cost you a lot more than a few toilet-papered trees. So grab a cup of cider, and let’s sort the tricks from the treats.

A Scary Story in Five Steps: How the Fake Order Email Plays Out

Every good scary story has a pattern, and so does this scam. Knowing how it unfolds makes it much easier to spot, so here’s the usual script from start to finish.

Step 1: The knock at the door. It confirms a large purchase or a subscription renewal, often for hundreds of dollars. It may include a logo, an order number, and an amount that looks official.

Step 2: The jump scare. You know you didn’t buy that. The email conveniently says to click a button or call a number if the charge wasn’t yours.

Step 3: The friendly stranger. Whoever answers the phone or the link sounds friendly and professional, and says they’ll help you cancel or fix the problem.

Step 4: The trick. To “fix” it, they need something from you: remote access to your computer, your login details, or your card or bank information.

Step 5: The real horror. Once they have access or information, they can go after your bank account, credit card, investment accounts, or Social Security number. That’s the real cost, and it goes well beyond the fake charge in the email.

Notice that the email itself never asks for anything outrageous. Its whole job is to get you to knock on the door yourself, which is why the earlier you catch it, the better.

The Tricks: Red Flags in an Email

Think of it like sorting a trick-or-treat haul. Some things look fine at first glance, but a closer look tells you not to touch them.

1. Urgency. “Your account will be closed in 24 hours.” “Immediate action required.” Real companies rarely need you to decide in a panic. A rushed feeling is what the sender is counting on.
2. A sender address that’s slightly off. The display name might say “Amazon” or “Microsoft,” but look at the actual email address underneath. Misspellings, odd extra words, or a random string of characters are giveaways.
3. A link that doesn’t match. Hover your mouse over a link without clicking it. The real destination shows up, and if it doesn’t match the company it claims to be from, don’t click.
4. A phone number in the email. If an email tells you to call a number to “cancel” or “dispute” a charge, treat that number as suspicious. It usually connects you straight to the scammer.
5. Unexpected attachments. Invoices, receipts, and “documents to review” that you weren’t expecting can carry malicious software. If you weren’t expecting it, don’t open it.
6. Generic greetings and clumsy wording. “Dear customer” instead of your name, or odd phrasing and formatting, can be a clue. That said, scam emails are getting more polished all the time, so don’t rely on typos alone to protect you.

The Treats: Signs an Email Is Probably Legit

These are the full-size candy bars: the ones that come from a neighbor you know, still sealed in the wrapper.

• It’s something you were expecting, such as a receipt for a purchase you actually made.
• It doesn’t pressure you to act immediately or ask for sensitive details.
• The sender’s address and link destinations match the real company.
• You can confirm the same information on your own, without using anything in the email.

The Safest Move: Don’t Take Candy from Strangers (Go Around the Email)

If you’re ever unsure, don’t use the links or phone numbers in the message at all. Instead, open your browser and type in the company’s website yourself, or use an app you already have, and check your account there. If there really was a problem, it will show up. If there’s nothing there, you just dodged a trick, and you can enjoy the rest of your autumn.

For a charge you don’t recognize, call the number on the back of your card or on your statement, not the one in the email.

If You Already Clicked

• Don’t panic, and don’t be embarrassed. These emails are designed to fool careful people.
• If you only clicked a link and nothing else happened, close the page and don’t enter anything. If you’re unsure, bring the computer in and we’ll take a look.
• If you typed in a password, change it right away, ideally from a different device, and change it anywhere else you use the same one.
• If you gave out card, bank, or other financial details, contact your bank or card provider immediately.
• If you called a number and let someone remote into your computer, disconnect from the internet and force the device off by holding down the power button. Don’t do a normal shutdown, since scammers can plant scripts set to run when the computer powers down normally. Then bring it in so we can check what was actually done.

A Little Fall Cleaning for Your Inbox

Once you’ve spotted a scam email, don’t leave it sitting there like a jack-o’-lantern past its prime. Delete it, or mark it as junk or phishing in your email program so it’s out of the way and no one in the household clicks it by accident.

Our Two Cents

We’d always rather you ask “is this real?” before you click than after. If something in your inbox feels off, it probably is, and a quick call to us is a lot cheaper and less stressful than cleaning up after a scam. For the bigger picture on phone calls, pop-ups, and the other ways these scammers get in, take a look at our scam alert post.

Give us a call or text at (612) 234-7237, or reach out here — we’re happy to help you sort out the real from the fake, no judgment. Happy Halloween, enjoy the fall colors, and stay safe out there!