Protecting Yourself from Email Scams
- Potterton Creative
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
As a website owner, your inbox is a busy place — client inquiries, plugin updates, hosting notices, domain renewals. Unfortunately, it’s also where scammers like to show up.
One of the most common tactics I see is the “urgent suspension” email (or similar): a message claiming your website, hosting, or domain will be canceled unless you click a link or make a payment. These emails are designed to trigger panic — and panic leads to rushed decisions.
Here’s how you can protect yourself (and your business) in just a few simple steps.
1. Check the “From” Email Address Carefully
Scammers often disguise themselves as legitimate companies like GoDaddy, PayPal, or Google, or even your website provider or platform, but they can't use a company's official domain. They count on you being too rushed to notice.
But when you look closely at the sender’s email address, you might notice:
Extra letters or misspellings
A random Gmail or Outlook address
A domain that doesn’t match the real company
For example, an email claiming to be from your hosting provider should come from that company’s official domain — not a variation that looks “almost” correct.
If anything looks even slightly off, pause.
2. Don’t Click the Link — Go to the Website Directly
If you receive a message saying (or similar):
“Your website will be suspended in 24 hours unless you verify your billing information.”
Do not click the link in the email.
Instead:
Open a new browser window
Type the company’s website address manually
Log in to your account the normal way
If there’s truly an issue, you’ll see a notice inside your account dashboard. If not, the email was likely a scam.
3. Slow Down — Scammers Rely on Urgency
Scam emails and texts almost always try to create pressure:
“Immediate action required”
“Final notice”
“Account suspended”
“Payment failed”
They want you to react emotionally before you think logically.
Take two minutes. Read the message carefully. Look for:
Poor grammar or odd phrasing
Generic greetings like “Dear Customer”
Threatening language
Requests for sensitive information
Legitimate companies rarely demand instant payment through random links or threaten immediate shutdown without prior notice.
4. When in Doubt, Ask
If you’re unsure whether an email is legitimate:
Forward it to your web designer or IT provider
Contact the company directly using the contact info on their official website
Don’t reply directly to the suspicious message
It’s always better to double-check than to deal with stolen passwords, hacked accounts, or fraudulent charges.
Your website is an important part of your business. Protecting it doesn’t require technical expertise — just a few careful habits:
✔ Check the sender
✔ Go directly to the source
✔ Slow down before reacting
A few extra minutes of caution can save hours (or days) of stress later.
