How do you spot spam and scam inquiries from your website?
Spam and scam inquiries usually give themselves away. They ignore what you actually offer, carry links you did not ask for, push you to act fast, offer to overpay, or ask for payment by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. Do not click their links or send business details in reply. Check any claim through a contact you already trust, keep the message out of your lead numbers, and report real scams to the FTC.
Common signs
- Generic text that never mentions your service, your area or a real job.
- Links or attachments you did not ask for, especially in a first message.
- Pressure to act now, before you have time to check anything.
- An offer to overpay, or a demand for payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency or gift card.
- An offer dressed up as an inquiry, or a sender claiming to be a supplier, a government office or a tech company.
What the FTC warns small businesses about
The Federal Trade Commission's guide for small businesses, dated July 2023, says scammers "create a sense of urgency, intimidation, and fear" so you act before checking their claims. Several of the scams it describes could also reach you through a contact form or an inbox.
Fake invoices are made to look like you ordered something. Listing and advertising scams ask for your details for a "free" listing, then send a big bill. In the fake check scam, someone gives a plausible reason to overpay you by check and asks for the extra back; the check is fake even if it shows as cleared, and you are left repaying the bank. Some callers claim to be from a tech company and say your business will lose its website address unless you pay at once.
On payment, the FTC's advice is plain: if someone demands a wire transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards, do not pay. It also warns that scammers often fake phone numbers, so "don't trust caller ID".
What to do with a suspicious inquiry
- Do not click links, open attachments or download files from an unexpected message, as the FTC advises.
- Do not send money, passwords or business details in reply.
- Check the claim independently. It is usually safest to contact a supplier, bank or agency through a number or address you already have, not one in the message.
- Before dealing with an unfamiliar company, the FTC suggests searching its name online with the word "scam" or "complaint".
- Make sure everyone who reads your inbox knows the signs. The FTC says to train employees not to send passwords or sensitive information by email, even when it seems to come from a manager.
Keep spam out of your lead numbers
A spam message is not a lead, so do not record it as a lost one. Counting spam can make your reply times and win rate look worse than they are, and a source look busier than it is. A spam tag in your tracker is usually enough; the related answer on how to set up a simple lead tracker covers the rest.
Report real scams
The FTC asks businesses to report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, noting that "Your report can help stop the scam." It also suggests alerting your state Attorney General, whose contact details can be found at NAAG.org.
Sources
Related answers
- How do you set up a simple lead tracker?
- What should a contact form ask?
- How do you tell whether a new lead is a good fit?
Lead systems and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.