How do you know if an email message is a hoax?

Answer 1

You will know if an email message is a hoax if it sounds too good to be true or if it directs you to a fake website. For example, it might direct you to a website that is supposed to belong to a well-known company but when you see the URL, it does not match the one for that company.

Answer 2

Different types of hoaxes can be disproved in different ways. In photo or video evidence objects may not cast shadows or the shadows may vary in darkness and number also shapes or objects may be repeated exactly. People have a sixth sense about many things and may subconsciously know something is wrong without understanding what or why and if something about the picture feels "wrong" then it most likely is and you shouldn't dismiss it as "nothing" (^_^)

Answer 3

Usually by checking the email address it was sent from. In the vast majority of legitimate emails, the sender is know to the recipient. That makes it easy to spot a fake email.

I had that happen to me a couple of years ago. I'm an on-line customer of Santander in the UK - I got an email telling me my account had been attacked and I needed to enter my account details and password into what looked like their official website. Reading the address the email came from - showed it originated outside the UK - which meant it hadn't come from Santander, Therefore - I simply deleted the email without entering any of the information asked for. I also contacted Santander with details of the sender - they passed the information onto their fraud department.

The best thing to do is - if you don't know the sender, or you suspect its fake - don't open it - just trash it.