How to Recognise Email Scams

How easy is it to be caught by a spam email?

Unfortunately, because so many of us rely on email for work communications these days, it’s a lot easier than you might think. Just think, for example, of how often you download word files or pdfs to your computer every day - any one of which could be malicious and potentially compromise all the information on your computer not to mention everyone in your network.

And how easy is it to avoid?

Theoretically, it’s pretty easy as long as you train yourself to become far more selective about the attachments you choose to download and open from your emails.

This is because - without wanting to sound completely alarmist - opening files without thinking is probably the most dangerous thing you can do online.

So before opening anything, always take the time to check that the sender is genuine, and is someone that either routinely sends you files or has specifically told you that they are going to. And if you’re not sure, just speak to the sender, explain your concerns, and verify if the document genuinely came from them. This protects against the possibility that their account has already been hacked and is now being used to spread malware.

It might sound like a lot of bother but it’s an easy habit to get into and could save a lot of time and money if it helps to avoid even one malware attack.

At AIB we’re supporting our customers to help avoid scams and frauds, so if you do receive an email that you think is a scam, please call us as soon as you can.

AIB ROI 0818 724 724 or +353 1 771 2424

09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Sunday

Allied Irish Bank NI 028 9034 6034

09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Sunday

Allied Irish Bank GB 028 9034 6060

09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Sunday

Lines open Monday to Friday (09:00 to 17:00)