Everybody gets phishing emails. But sometimes it’s not always easy to determine if an email is from a legitimate email address or if it’s a scam. In this tip, we’ll show you how to check if an email is valid in the Mail app.
Why You’ll Love This Tip:
- Check if an email is from a legitimate email address or a scam in the Mail app.
- Avoid falling for deceptive phishing scam emails.
How to Check the Validity of an Email in the Mail App
System Requirements
This tip was performed on an iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 18.4. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.
At this point, scam emails are just a fact of life. Most of the time, phishing scams are sent straight to your spam or junk folder. However, every now and then, one or two will slip through the cracks and show up in your inbox. If you have a suspicion about an email you received, here’s how to use Apple's Mail app to check if an email is valid:
- With the suspicious email open, tap the address bar.
![iphone scam email with a red box around address bar]()
- Tap the name in the From: field. Sometimes, when I receive these types of emails, the scammer will use my own name. It may also appear to be from a familiar business or person or, sometimes, something totally random.
![iphone scam email with a red box around sender]()
- A contact card will open and you’ll see what email address the email came from. In this case, the email is from a Gmail address. The content of the email was from Best Buy’s Geek Squad, so if this was a legitimate email, it should have come from an @bestbuy.com email address. Therefore, this is a scam email. Even if the email address looks legit at first glance, look carefully to see if there is a typo (e.g. @bestby.com) or a strange top-level domain (@bestbuy.io).
![iphone contact card with a red box around an email address]()
- Another telltale sign is that in the body of the email, “Geek Squad” provides a phone number for you to call if you need assistance. You can search the web for the number given to see if it traces back to a legitimate source if you're ever in doubt.
![iphone scam email with a red box around a paragraph which offers a phone number for the user to call with questions]()
- The email is also claiming that I’ve renewed my membership for $470. This is an alarming amount of money meant to make you panic and call the number indicated in the email right away. If you are in doubt as to whether the email is legitimate, don't call the number in the email or respond directly to the email. Go to the business's website instead, and find out how to contact customer service directly.
![iphone scam email with a red box around a total renewal fee]()
That’s one way to check if an email is valid. Next, find out how to manage sharing and access on your iPhone.
More On: iPhone Security
Top image credit: VRVIRUS / Shutterstock.com
