We read about scam and phishing emails all the time, but do we really know how to identify them? What are the key markers we should look for? Singtel shares the key identifiers you should be looking, and what you should not do when an email looks suspicious.

What are scam emails? 

Scammers often target the public through email with the intention to steal personal information such as login credentials, NRIC/FIN and credit card numbers. These scams are designed to trick you into giving away your money, personal details or data by offering an attractive deal, reward or false information.

The emails may appear to be sent from Singtel and can look very real as some will even contain the Singtel brand colours and logo. But even as scammers come up with increasingly convincing tactics, there are still some tell-tale signs that can help you recognise a phishing scam.

Five things to look out for

1. Missing or overly generic salutations are an indication that the email was not sent by Singtel. We will never address you as ‘Dear Friend’ or ‘Hi Dear’.

2. Poor spelling and grammar are strong indications of a scam email. Read its contents carefully and check for mistakes or inconsistencies in punctuation, font sizes and styles.

3. Creating a false sense of urgency is a tactic scammers use to threaten and cause panic. You may be told that your Singtel service(s) will be terminated if you don’t provide personal details or make payment. We will never ask for sensitive information over email .

4. Inconsistent email, text and URL links that do not look legitimate probably aren’t. Chances are that they will direct you to fake websites and prompt for personal details. Check that all links in the email lead to our official domain, ‘singtel.com’.

5. Suspicious attachments should never be opened as they may contain malicious programs or viruses. High-risk attachments include file formats such as .EXE, .ZIP, .SCR, .DOC, .TXT.

How to protect yourself from scams emails:

• Be suspicious of every email you receive. When in doubt, verify its authenticity with the official website or source.
• Do not be fooled by overly attractive deals. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Do not open suspicious attachments, especially if you aren’t expecting to receive a bill or contract.
• Do not click on links or buttons in suspicious emails .
• Never provide sensitive details such as OTPs, NRIC/FIN and credit card numbers.
• Always verify links in emails. Copy the link by right-clicking on it (on computers) or tapping and holding it for a few seconds (on mobile devices) and paste it in your web browser’s address bar to verify that it ends with the domain ‘singtel.com’. Links that are displayed as one link but lead you to another can be considered highly suspicious.
• When visiting our website, always check that your connection is secure by looking for a lock icon on your web browser's address bar.