While there is no single way to recognise whether you have received a Spoof email - the senders are especially deceptive - there are a few signs that indicate the email may not be legitimate.

Learn More about typical Spoof emails.

Warning Signs of a Spoof Email

A. Sender's Email Address
Spoof email may include a forged email address in the "From" line - Some may actually be real email addresses that have been forged. (From: billing@ebay.com; From: eBayAcctMaintenance@eBay.com; From: support@ebay.com).

B. Email Greeting
Many Spoof emails will begin with a general greeting such as "Welcome eBay User."

C. Urgency
Claims that eBay is updating its files or accounts - it is highly unlikely that eBay will ever lose your account information.

D. Account Status Threat
Most Spoof emails try to deceive you with the threat that your account is in jeopardy and you will not be able to buy or sell on eBay if you do not update it immediately.

E. Links in an Email
While many emails have links included, just remember that these links can be forged too.

F. Requests Personal Information
Requests that you enter sensitive personal information such as a User ID, password or bank account number by clicking on a link or completing a form within the email are a clear indicator of a Spoof email.