Hi, I'm Ash, fellow senior. After a successful career, I postponed retirement to start Empathy, a brand dedicated to helping seniors and solo agers thrive. Ten Minute AI is my way of doing just that — showing you how to use AI with confidence, one simple 10-minute guide at a time.
How Do I Know If an Email Is From a Scammer?
A few warning signs almost always give a scam email away: it creates urgency ("act now or your account will close"), it asks you to click a link or call a number to "verify" personal information, or it comes from an address that looks almost right but is slightly off.
When in doubt, don't click anything in the email at all. Instead, go directly to the company's real website or call the number on your actual bill or card.
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The Biggest Red Flag
Real companies almost never ask you to confirm your password, Social Security number, or full account number by email. If an email asks for that, it's very likely a scam, no matter how official the logo or wording looks.
Checking Before You Click
Hover your mouse over any link (without clicking) to see the actual web address it leads to, or on a phone, press and hold the link briefly. If it doesn't match the company's real website, don't tap it. When unsure, type the company's website address into your browser yourself instead of using the link in the email.
If You're Still Not Sure
Copy the email text (never the sender's real account details) into ChatGPT and ask, "Does this email have the warning signs of a scam?" It can point out suspicious wording quickly. And if you've already clicked something you regret, call your bank or card company right away — acting fast matters more than feeling embarrassed.
Ready to go further?
