Buzz
A growing and unavoidable aspect of modern life is dealing with countless attempts to scam you—whether it's trying to steal your financial information, impersonate your identity, or even trick you into a fake romance scam. Scam messages, both texts and emails, are so widespread, they've almost become undetectable.
This presents a real issue, as you’re most susceptible when you’re not on alert—this is why 15% of Americans report someone in their household has fallen for a scam (and 8% admit they’ve personally been deceived). While identifying scam texts and emails can often be easy, scammers are becoming increasingly skilled at imitating legitimate bank or government communications, making their deceitful attempts appear convincing and official.
Even though scammers are adept at replicating graphics, faking emails, and masking links, there are still clear signs that you're being targeted. Below are seven grammatical clues that are commonly found in scam messages, from text to email.
Typically Subpar Grammar
One of the most glaring signs in scam emails and texts is poor grammar—official communications from corporations or government bodies are typically grammatically correct, so any 'official' message that reads as if it was translated by a machine should immediately raise suspicion.
Sometimes, poor grammar might be used on purpose. There’s a theory that it’s meant to weed out those who are paying attention—if you catch the grammar mistakes, the scammers figure you’re too savvy for them to target. However, this isn’t always the case—sometimes scam emails are just badly written because the authors aren’t skilled in writing fluent English. Either way, if the message is hard to understand, it might be a sign you’re not dealing with who they claim to be.
The expression 'would you kindly'
The use of the word 'kindly' in an email or text urging you to take an action or click a link is a frequent indicator that you’re dealing with a scammer, as it suggests the sender is likely from another country. 'Kindly' is commonly used in places like India where Americans would use 'please.' While 'kindly' isn’t grammatically incorrect, it’s not typical for an American to use it, especially in phrases like 'do the needful.' Of course, just because the sender is from a different country with different colloquialisms doesn’t automatically mean the message is a scam—unless they’re trying to convince you that it’s from a U.S.-based company, government agency, or fellow citizen.
Incorrect Punctuation and Capitalization
Another giveaway of a scam can be found in errors involving punctuation and capitalization. Commonly miscapitalized words are often a sign that the message was taken from a scam template that’s been modified to suit the specific details of this particular scam. Similarly, punctuation mistakes—whether commas, periods, quotation marks, or others placed incorrectly, or omitted entirely—are another clear sign of a potential scam. While we all make punctuation and capitalization errors in haste, consider whether it seems likely that an IRS agent would rush through a notice demanding that you send $500 in Apple gift cards to cover a fine.
Another indication that a message may be a scam is the misplacement of the dollar sign. In the U.S., the correct format is to place the dollar sign before the numbers, while in many other countries, the symbol is placed afterward. So, seeing 500$ instead of $500 should raise your suspicion and prompt you to examine the message more closely before making any purchases, like buying gift cards.
Addressing you as 'dear' in an official email
Scam texts and emails frequently use a generic term instead of addressing you by your actual name, as they are pretending to be from a bank or other entity that should know who you are. They also commonly use 'dear' in terms of endearment like 'My dear,' which is often meant to create a false sense of intimacy (especially in romance scams). This is also a common indicator that the writer is a non-native English speaker. While 'dear' is not necessarily incorrect (your grandmother may use it affectionately), it is contextually inappropriate in a professional email that's supposed to be serious.
Using the term 'datebook' instead of 'calendar' is a common mix-up.
Some words, like 'calendar' and 'schedule', are often swapped around, signaling that the email or message may come from someone living abroad (and probably not from your local police department trying to get you to pay traffic tickets with Bitcoin). Countries outside the U.S. sometimes use terms like 'diary' or 'datebook' in place of 'calendar,' which can indicate that the message is a scam, so it's worth taking a moment to reassess and look for additional red flags.
Omissions of words
Scam messages often come from individuals who aren't fluent in English. Because of this, missing words, particularly 'function words,' can slip by unnoticed. These words are essential for connecting other words and giving structure to a sentence. Scam texts commonly leave out function words at key points, resulting in awkward phrases like 'Contact main office' (missing 'the'). Such phrases might appear acceptable at first glance, but a brief pause in reading reveals how odd they can sound.
References to religion
Scammers often exploit people's religious beliefs and spirituality in various ways, using references to god and specific religions to gain trust. This tactic, similar to using terms like 'dear,' aims to disarm your skepticism by presenting the scammer as a 'good person' who shares your faith or pretends to be religious.
Mentioning religion or faith in an email isn't automatically a warning sign—it all depends on the context. For instance, receiving an email from your pastor with references to god is perfectly fine. However, an email from the Lottery Commission claiming you've won $10 million because Bill Gates selected your email probably shouldn't be filled with frequent references to church.
