I usually share tips here about websites, SEO & AI Search, Google, and ways to improve your online presence. But there’s another part of managing your business online that’s just as important: knowing how to recognize suspicious emails and scams.
Phishing and impersonation emails have become increasingly convincing.
Scammers may reference your actual website, domain name, employees, or even companies you work with to make a message appear legitimate.
One important distinction is worth understanding:
An impersonation email does not necessarily mean the company being impersonated has been hacked.
Scammers don’t need access to a company’s website, email, or systems to pretend to be that company. They can gather publicly available information and use misleading sender names, lookalike email addresses, and other techniques to make a message seem authentic.
For more information, I’ve put together a resource at kmawebdesign.com covering:
- The difference between phishing, impersonation, and an actual account compromise
- Why scammers may know real information about your business
- Common domain, hosting, Google, invoice, and website scams
- Warning signs to look for before clicking a link
- What to do if you’ve already clicked or provided information
- Simple steps that can help protect your business accounts
One of the simplest habits you can adopt is:
Stop. Check. Verify.
If an email is unexpected, unusually urgent, or asks you to click a link, provide login information, or make a payment, take a moment to verify it independently.
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