Steps to Spot and Block Email Spoofing

Posted on: Mar 20, 2024 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Steps to Spot and Block Email Spoofing

Reach is the most prominent need in today's fast-running world, as many jobs rely on it. One is how you physically reach a place, and the second is how you reach people with words and texts. Maybe in the first scenario, you get fooled with extra fare charges for buses, autos, and taxis, but in the second scenario, the fraud while communicating is not too transparent and may cost you badly. Well, it's about the cybercriminals! Emails have the most personal information and links, but these are getting invaded nowadays by scammers.

What happens in email spoofing?

In email spoofing, the scammers target the ''from'' address by changing it in the received email to make it look like it is coming from a trustworthy source. It is a severe cyber attack that can cause immense financial harm and lead to theft or misuse of your personal information regarding account numbers, passwords, and other sensitive data. They impersonate someone else as a trusted entity to make the recipient believe them. Then, they manipulate the target person to perform certain acts, like going through the malicious link or giving personal information.

What is the purpose of email spoofing?

• They trick you by advertising their online services most suspiciously.

• They make a deal with you to sell their fake product.

• They may also extract your sensitive information.

• You may also get a virus or Trojan cyberattack.

• By doing so, they can get the bank information or credit card number.

• These scammers will try every way to convince you to send money in favour of a shady job offer or an investment scheme.

• They may also cause a nuisance.

Impacts of Email Spoofing:

The consequences of this are very extreme for both the person and the company. Some of these include:

• Financial loss occurs:

In email spoofing, fraudulent money transactions take place that affect the payment by getting redirected, leading to substantial money loss.

• Data gets breached:

Cybercriminals steal sensitive information like passwords, usernames, and personal data, which leads to identity theft or security breaches.

• Damage to reputation:

Businesses get direct impacts as they go through reputation damage when their email domains are often used for spoofing. Customers can lose trust in the particular organisation.

• On legal issues:

In the case of failure to protect against spoofing, the results can be in the form of legal and regulatory impacts, mainly if customer information is compromised.

How does email spoofing work?

The techniques and methods used by cybercriminals to carry out email spoofing are:

• Manipulation of the email header:

The email header possesses essential information regarding the sender, recipient, and subject. It shows the route that the email took to reach its destination. Cybercriminals often manipulate the headers to alter the sender's mail address or hide the email's origin. This act is behind the scenario, so detecting the manipulation is almost impossible.

• Sender address forgery:

During email spoofing, the attackers forge the sender's email address to make it appear related to a legal source. This way is convincing, mainly if the recipient fails to detect the email details.

• Display name deception:

The other way is to change the display name in the recipient's inbox. For example, a potential scammer may alter the display name to ''Bank of America'' instead of the actual mail. The recipient who failed to suspect could not see the fraud and trust the email's legitimacy.

Common types of email spoofing:

• Business Email Compromise:

BEC mainly targets businesses and tricks employees into making money transactions or disclosing the corporation's sensitive data. They act like high-ranking executives to convince them that the request is legit.

• Phishing attacks:

Phishing attacks involve the spread of unreal emails that appear as trusted organisations, such as social media platforms, banks, or government agencies. These emails usually have malicious attachments or links that can lead to potential theft and malware infections.

• Email personification:

It happens when a scammer spoofs the email of an individual or an organisation that is known to them. These cybercriminals manipulate the recipients into performing certain activities. It involves sending fraudulent invoices, requesting confidential data, or ordering employees to do unofficial transfers.

How do you detect a spoofed message?

To identify a spoofed message, you need to check a few of the main properties, like:

• Simply open and go through the email header of the particular message that you suspect is being spoofed.

• Now check the ''from'', ''reply-to'', ''return path, and ''source IP'' sections of the email header. In these, if any seem different from the sender's address, the email you have received might be spoofed.

• Be careful when reading the subject lines. Some examples of suspicious subject lines are:

• Urgently send money!

• Online banking alert: Your account may be deactivated.

• Do you remember me? I am XYZ from ABC Academy!

• SECURITY NOTIFICATION

• Urgent action is needed.

• USPS: Failed Package Delivery

What precautions can you take to dodge spoofed messages?

Your alertness and presence of mind can protect you from becoming a victim of an email-spoofing cyberattack. Here are some tips to remember while opening an email message that you get either on your ID or official.

• Anti-malware software is a must in such scenarios, so always keep it updated on the system you work with.

• Keep yourself alert and careful of the dirty tricks of cybercriminals in social engineering.

• Before going forward with any actions, like sharing personal or financial information, contact the sender of the mail instantly.

• Never respond to the email addresses given in the message if you suspect they are spoofed.

• If you have any doubt about whether the email is spoofed, then block or blacklist that mail ID. There is always an option to unblock them once their legitimacy is verified.

• Execute the DKIM, SPF, and DMARC records, as they can add additional layers of security to your mail ID.

So, to safeguard yourself from cyber attacks, HDFC Ergo recommends you go for the Individual Cyber Insurance Policy. This insurance policy was recently launched in India for individuals. Put a shield over your family's head from scammers with HDFC Ergo's cyber insurance for families .

Conclusion:

Email spoofing can be shady sometimes, but that can be avoided by including the authentication protocols. However, it's your responsibility to educate yourself and the people involved to stay updated with the current security tools. To avert this, technology and user awareness are musts. There are chances that even if you are careful, you may click on a fraudulent link or open up about your personal information, then instantly change the password of your mail account. If you suspect an email is being spoofed, contact the sender by other means and clarify the scenario. Stay alert always!

Disclaimer The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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