We've all seen those emails in our inbox, you know, the ones that tell us one of our websites or accounts was hacked, compromised with Malware, or hijacked and also threaten us with something crazy if we don't do whatever it tells us to do. It can definitely catch us off-guard and make us do a double-take. 😳 Seeing as how we all use use email these days, we figured we'd share some of our best practices that we use when handling scam emails.

Here's an example of one (of 2) that we've received recently (both to & from different email addresses).

We've whited-out parts of the image below and replaced them with red text. The "To:" field is where our email address would show up. The "(link) yourwebsite" is where our website address would show up as clickable text.

Pretty crazy, right?! There's ALL KINDS of scams like this going around - but you don't have to be scared or afraid. In fact, we're going to share what we do when we see something like this in our inbox (or even junk folder).

The "Stop & Breath" Technique

So there you are, just checking your email - and then you see one of these kinds of emails staring right back at you. There's some links that look like they might be safe to click, and a crazy threatening message... 'is that for real', you ask yourself.

If you find yourself in this position, the best thing to do is to stop & breathe. Do not freak out. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

Two minutes ago you were [probably] fine, emotionally. So taking time to STOP (take your hands away from the mouse & keyboard), and taking a few moments to just breathe can help regain your composure (and your wits).

Don't Risk It

These emails are designed to scare people into doing things they shouldn't do. One of those things is usually to click an image or a link. Don't risk it. DO NOT, under any circumstances, click the link. As they say, curiosity killed the cat.

Forget You Ever Saw It (Then Delete It)

The #1 thing you can do to keep yourself safe when you get one of these emails is to forget you ever saw it and delete it. (In most circumstances.) Sometimes though, you may want to save evidence for legal reasons. If that's the case, just be sure NOT to click any links or images.

The Key Is So Basic & Simple

Most of the time, these 'threat actors' (the people who send these emails) never can & never will follow through with their threats. You also don't want to give them any fuel for their fire. Make sure you educate yourself, your employees, team members, friends, and family on how to spot and manage these scare tactics. The key is just to ignore these types of emails and carry on with your day - it's so basic and simple. 😎