The most common terms email scammers use to trick you

October 1, 2024

By Kim Komando

Here’s a wild stat: Cybercriminals send 3.4 billion emails every day. That adds up to well over 1 trillion a year. With that many messages flying around, it’s no wonder so many people get caught up in scams. And today’s super-smart AI makes their messages all the more convincing.

So, how do you spot the tricks within their emails? It’s all in the details.

Word up

Email company ZeroBounce identified the most dangerous words based on how frequently they popped up in emails. They also looked at the clickthrough rate (CTR) and the infection/damage rate.

1️⃣ Topping the list is the word “money,” with an 83.56% infection/damage rate. Dang, that’s high. It also had the second-highest CTR and appearance rate.

2️⃣ Coming in at No. 2 is “income.” It has the highest CTR because we all want more income, right?

“Investment,” “credit,” “billion” and “free” also ranked high on the list. “Free” appeared most frequently in the spam emails researchers analyzed, but it also had the lowest CTR. Good to know if you do marketing, too!

The full list of spammy terms

Word	Appearance frequency	CTR	Infection rate (%)	Weighted score
money	1143	4.56%	83.56	81.68
investment	226	4.59%	89.64	72.43
credit	726	4.22%	50.52	59.23
billion	107	3.97%	71.93	58.97
free	2266	0.56%	54.78	58.00
loan	176	4.31%	61.11	57.23
debt	194	3.73%	60.61	53.52
cash	321	3.93%	52.66	52.96
cost	359	4.21%	43.33	51.07
income	267	4.68%	32.26	47.93

Spam spotter

Now you know the words they use to reel you in. Let’s jump to Inbox Safety 202.

• Always click to see the sender’s email address, not just the display name. Lazy spammers use unfamiliar, misspelled or strange email addresses. Emails from legitimate companies and organizations have a recognizable domain name.
• Weird subject lines are a red flag. If it doesn’t make logical sense, it’s probably spam.
• Most legitimate emails address you by your name in the greeting. If the message seems serious but it’s not personalized, your guard should go up.
• Even with AI’s help, crooks aren’t the best writers. Be wary of emails full of spelling and grammar mistakes. Mismatched fonts and unprofessional formatting are also suspicious signs.
• Many real emails have links … But if they seem out of place or unexpected, they could be malicious.
• Legit companies won’t ask for your personal info through email. Requests for your account number or other info are a big red flag — they should already have that.
• Look for a professional signature at the bottom of the email. This will include things like the sender’s contact info and social media links. Always cross-check any contact info with a company’s official website.

🔑 Now, be a pal and share this intel using the icons below with someone you care about. Consider it your good deed of the day! It could be the start of pumpkin big!

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