Beware of Spam Emails

It was reported to the office this week that someone received an email from “Pastor Naomi” asking for a “response regarding a brief request.” The email was immediately followed up with requests for gift cards. No one at Lutheran Church of the Foothills will ever send you such a text or email.

Scammers send fake emails to trick you into giving them your personal information—such as your password, account number, or Social Security number. They also try to get you to click on links by promising you a free prize, gift card, or coupon in return.

What are the characteristics of spam email? First, look carefully at the email address. It may contain a familiar name, but have an unfamiliar address. Finally, look for poor grammar, a sense of urgency, or suspicious links and attachments.

If you receive a spam email:

• Report, don’t just delete: Use your email “Report Spam” or “Junk” button.

• Avoid interaction: Never click links, open attachments, or reply to suspicious emails. Even clicking “unsubscribe” on a malicious email can confirm your email address is active and lead to more spam.

• Block persistent senders: If you keep getting emails from a specific address, use the “Block Sender” feature to send future emails directly to the junk folder.

• Disable image auto-loading: Spammers use tiny, invisible images (tracking pixels) to see if you’ve opened an email. Turning this off in your settings prevents them from verifying your account is active.