How to Check If an Email Is Genuine or Not – Discussed

Let’s know how to check if an email is genuine or not. Alright, so let’s talk about this one thing that bugs me every single day… emails that look totally normal but actually are trying to scam you. You click something by mistake, and the next thing you know, your entire bank account is on a vacation without you. Yeah that.

Most of us just trust what lands in our inbox coz we are in a rush, you know, office work or bills or family messages piling up. But these fraud emails got really clever lately. They use official-looking logos or fancy subject lines to hook you in. So, before you fall in that hole, let me share a lil personal style checklist that I use to spot whether an email is truly genuine or just straight up a fake.

Read Also: Steps to Find Hidden Files During Forensic Investigation

Checklists to Check If an Email Is Genuine or Fake

Let’s read and understand the forensic email intelligence checklists to check if an email is fake or genuine.

Start with Who’s Sending It

The first thing I do before opening any mail is hover my mouse over the sender’s name. You see a name like “Amazon Support,” but then the email behind is something like “amazonsupport343@randommail.com” that’s your first clue. big companies will always send from their own domain. So, check the email address carefully even if the display name looks safe.

• Always match the display name with the email domain

Look Closely at the Subject Line

If you see things like “URGENT,” “ACT NOW,” “IMMEDIATE ACTION,” or all caps shouting for no reason… relax and breathe. That’s classic scamming. Nobody sends you a legal notice or bank alert in that tone. They want you to panic and click.

• Watch out for urgent or threatening words
• Banks or gov people won’t ever threaten over email

Check Spelling or Weird Grammar

Man, these fraudsters sure try hard, but they trip on small things. You’ll see random capital letters or weird grammar that just sounds off. Like “Your Account Will Be Terminated Now” or “We Need Verification. Kindly Respond Fast.” That is not how normal English sounds.

• Trust your gut when reading the words
• If it feels forced or fishy it probably is

Hover Before You Click

Every link in the email can be tested. Just hover your mouse on it and look at the bottom of your screen to see where it goes. Does it match the brand website, or does it lead to some odd link with numbers or letters you can’t even read. Never ever click if you’re unsure.

• Hover first, click later
• When in doubt, don’t click at all

Never Share Personal Details

No real company will ever ask you to give passwords bank pins or OTP over email. Zero legit brands do that. If there’s even a tiny request for personal or payment info through an email that’s a straight no from me. You can always call the real customer support instead.

• Companies won’t ask for your password over mail
• Ring them up if you’re confused

Don’t Trust Attachments Blindly

Those attachments are sneaky. You see “invoice” or “payment receipt,” but what’s inside could be a virus just waiting to jump your computer. Only open attachments from people you know.

• Unknown sender, no attachment should be opened
• If you really must open scan it first

Check the Greeting

It might sound silly, but scammers usually say things like “Dear Customer” instead of using your real name. Companies that know you will address you with your name properly. That’s a small but solid clue. This is important to check if an email is genuine or not.

• Look for your real name in the greeting
• Generic words like “valued user” are a red flag

Final Checklist

• Check sender address
• Hover on every link
• Scan attachments
• Spot weird grammar
• Look out for urgency and panic
• Don’t give personal info over mail
• Contact the brand directly if unsure

Conclusion

Above, we have discussed the multiple common and advanced ways to know how to check if an email is genuine or not. You can follow the mentioned instructions to avoid scams and stay safe.