Countless spam emails enter inboxes everyday, but scammers are ripping people off more successfully by using specific words.
Scam emails containing "income" had the highest rate of people clicking through, followed by "investment" and "money," according to email app ZeroBounce, which analyzed large datasets to determine the most dangerous and recurring words.
On the other hand, the three words with the lowest rate of click throughs were "free," "debt" and "cash."
"They often use words like 'money' or 'important' to grab your attention and create a false sense of urgency or opportunity, making it easier for people to let their guard down," ZeroBounce CEO Liviu Tanase said.
"It’s important to identify these red flags and not take things at face value to avoid these dangerous schemes," he added.
But more frequently appearing words aren't necesarily as good at getting people to fall victim.
For example, the word "free" appeared the most but had the lowest click-through rate.
Tips for protecting yourself from scam emails
There are some simple ways that experts say you can avoid scam emails.
- Don't click: Think before clicking on a link or attachment sent in an email. Hover on links before clicking on them to see if it is from a trusted website.
- Don't give out information: Never share financial or personal details in response to an unsolicited email.
- Multiple email addresses: Consider having different emails for friends and family, work, shopping, social media and finances.
- Email blocking app: An additional app on top of your email provider can filter out scam emails.
- Update browser: An up-to-date browser can warn you about suspicious or dangerous websites you visit from an email.
- Anti-phishing toolbar: You can install an additional extension on your browser that flags if you a website you clicked through is suspicious or dangerous.
- Keep informed: Follow news or consumer watchdog sources such as the Federal Trade Commission to stay aware of the latest scam emails, such as from the Federal Trade Commission.