How to spot a scam message
A parcel, a bank, e-Devlet, a prize draw... Fake messages all use the same patterns. Once you have learned those patterns, you don't fall for them easily again.
Scam messages work not through technical genius but by making you hurry. "Your account will be closed", "your parcel is being sent back", "last 2 hours" โ they all have the same purpose: getting you to click before you have a chance to think.
The good news is this: the patterns never change. If even one of the signs below is there, that is reason enough to delete the message. When you can't be sure, the golden rule is: go not to the link in the message but to the institution's own app or official website. If there is a real problem, it shows up there too.
- Time5 minutes
- DifficultyEasy
- Steps7
๐งฐ What you need
- A bit of suspicion
Steps
- Watch out for pressure to hurryPhrases like 'final hours', 'right now', 'or it will be closed' are the signature of a scam. Real institutions don't push you to click a link under time pressure.
- Look at the sender's addressA bank text doesn't come from '[email protected]' or from an unfamiliar number. Read the domain name in the address all the way to the end: 'mybank.com-login.xyz' is not mybank.com.
- Examine the link without clicking itIf the address is shortened (like bit.ly) or the domain name has nothing to do with the institution, don't click. On a phone you can press and hold the link to see the real address.
- If personal details are being asked for, stopNo bank, courier company or official institution asks for a password, a card number or an SMS code by message. Anyone who does is a scammer โ there are no exceptions.
- Look at the spelling and the languageSentences that reek of an odd translation, mistakes in Turkish characters, inconsistent capital letters... Corporate messages don't make these mistakes.
- Verify through the institution's own channelIf you are in doubt, close the message; open your bank's app or check your parcel tracking number on the official site. If it is real, it is there too.
- If you have been caught, act fastIf you entered your details, change your password immediately, call your bank, have your card blocked. Don't be embarrassed โ people of every age and every profession fall into these traps.
โ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.
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