This Email is Making Me FEEL Something
Scammers manipulate your emotions!
IS AN EMAIL, TEXT, OR DM MAKING YOU FEEL SUDDEN, URGENT EMOTIONS?
- “You won our sweepstakes!”
- “You’re under arrest!”
- “I’ve been recording you.”
THESE EMOTIONS CAN BE POSITIVE:
- You won an expensive cooler but you have to respond fast to claim it!
- An attractive stranger wants to be your friend and strike up a convo!
- You’re owed money from a forgotten invoice!
MESSAGES AND EMAILS CAN ALSO BE SCARY:
- You owe back taxes and we’re coming to collect unless you call!
- I’m your boss and I’m texting you from an unknown number, but I need to know your bank account info ASAP!
- You’ve been hacked and you need to pay up.
All of these are symptoms of scams and phishing!
IS A MESSAGE PUSHING YOU TO CLICK BEFORE YOU THINK?
- Is it causing strong feelings?
- Is it unexpected?
- Is it requesting you take action, like making a payment?
This goes for emails, texts, DMs, and now even calls because of artificial intelligence platforms.
- Don’t click!
- Don’t even click Unsubscribe!
- Report emails as phishing if possible.
- Delete.
- Block the contact info from scammy phone numbers.
DON’T RESPOND TO WRONG NUMBERS!
Another common scam we see now is a slower burn. It often starts with a “mistaken text” from a number you don’t recognize:
- “Hey how r u”
- “Do you have any dentist recommendations?”
- “It was wonderful running into you last night”
These are ways for a scammer to start a conversation that eventually leads to a scam. Don’t respond. Don’t even text back “wrong number.” Block and report! It’s not rude. If someone really did text you by accident, they’ll figure it out.
This Email is Making Me FEEL Something. (2025) StaySafeOnline.org
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