Received an empty email? It’s likely to be a scam

On average, over 8 billion scam emails are sent in the US every day. This includes empty email scams. The goal is to check whether your email account is active before starting a conversation. Scammers then attempt to convince you to hand over personal info such as bank details, passwords, or company logins.

What can I do to avoid these types of scams?
1. Adjust your email settings to block messages that contain no content.
2. If you do open a blank email do not reply or engage any further.
3. Check the details of the sender and report that email address as spam.
4. You can always contact the apparent source directly through their website.
5. Don’t ever click on links in emails from unknown senders.

So, how do empty email scams actually work?
1. Scammers send out emails containing no content, often with a short subject line. The sender will appear as a trusted source such as a bank or organization.
2. The emails are often able to bypass spam filters because they don’t contain any phishing links or malware — yet.
3. Once the email is delivered, they know your account is active. Next comes a follow-up message attempting to engage you in a conversation.
4. Phishing links in the second email will attempt to get you to hand over your personal information like bank details, passwords, or company logins.

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