How To Jerk-Proof Your Emails

If you haven't been jerked off by an email scam before, you may be in for a surprise. Should the Nigerian prince come knocking on your door pleading to send him thousands of dollars via Western Union or Moneygram to avoid losing his inheritance, it could be tough to discern what's true and what's not.

Luckily, there are a few valuable precautions that can help all of us identify these scams faster and more accurately. Implement these tips below immediately; they may just save your money! (Remember that email scams are always evolving so stay alert. If you suspect something really is fishy, then it probably is. Don't send money to a stranger!)

1) Always be on the lookout for typos and grammatical errors - They are a dead giveaway that the email was written by someone not from your country. (If it's from Nigeria, then it would be a dead giveaway that it's fake. Grammar and spelling are very important in Africa.)

2) Make sure no one has ever told you about this opportunity before - If indeed you have met someone who claims they can get you paid $50,000 to set up an ATM network in the Philippines or Mali, ask them to share their contact information with you. If the person has a website, contact information needs to be prominently displayed.

3) Make sure the sender is actually using your name. - In some emails, you might be able to differentiate the sender's real name and email address from the fake one (e.g., if you've used an online forum before, you may recognize an email address).

4) Be wary if they ask for your personal information or money right away. - If they also promise to send you a large sum of money for a tiny investment or item, then that particular scheme has probably already been reported and it's just a matter of time before it hits the news cycle.

5) Check the email header - It's just a single click away. This will show you the IP address of the sender and where the email originated from.

6) Never click on links in emails - In fact, if you can't hover over the link first to see where it goes, assume it's a scam and report it to the company whose identity has been compromised. Reporting an email scam will protect your anonymity since it will not include your personal email address or contact information. (Just use an anonymous email account.)

7) Make sure that you don't send money via wire transfer or Western Union at least twice as much as what they are asking for in return - (e.g. if they ask for $10,000 but you're only willing to send $5,000, then that's a red flag.) This is a 100% sure fire way to catch a scammer.

8) If they ask for money via moneygram or western union but the email doesn't have the address in it, do not send them any money via those services - It's one of the best ways to lose your hard earned cash! Determine the location of where the money is being sent. Only after confirming that the location is within your country should you send them an amount lower than what they asked for initially.

9) The email shouldn't have a body text that is from your bank - This is a clear indication that it's a scam. Moneygram, Western Union, etc are all regulated services and require the email to be from the originating financial institution.

10) If you are suspicious of any emails, then check the credit/debit card used by the sender against your own card - It just takes two minutes or less. (This is not 100% accurate but when there are too many red flags it's better to err on the side of caution.) Note that in case of any discrepancies, do not hesitate to report it to your bank immediately.

Conclusion

The new age of fraud has arrived. So if you're an entrepreneur, it's time to take action on this to prevent your business from being clobbered. As an investor, you should also be aware of these new threats. Being careful is the best way to protect yourself when it comes to international investment opportunities. The less time and effort that you have to put in, the better! If you need help or guidance on email scams, then contact us now at info@astro-investor.com for personalized assistance (we'll respond promptly).