How to spot a fake Microsoft or Amazon email before it costs you
Microsoft and Amazon emails land in inboxes constantly, which is exactly why scammers impersonate them. A realistic-looking message asking you to verify your account, confirm a purchase, or update payment information can feel urgent and legitimate. But there are reliable ways to tell the real ones from the fakes, and they take about ten seconds once you know what to look for.
Check the sender's actual email address
This is the single most important check, and it catches the vast majority of fakes. Scammers can make the display name say anything. The actual email address is what matters.
Real Microsoft emails come from domains like @microsoft.com, @outlook.com, or @account.microsoft.com. Real Amazon emails come from @amazon.com or @amazon.co.uk. That's it. If the address ends with anything else, it's fake.
In most email clients, you have to click on the sender's name to see the actual address, not just the display name. Gmail shows it when you hover over the name. Outlook makes you click the dropdown arrow. Don't skip this step, and don't assume the display name is enough.
If you see an address like microsoft.updates@paypal.com or orders@amazon-alerts-verify.com or anything where the real company name is not the primary part of the domain, it's phishing.
Look for generic greetings and awkward language
Real Microsoft and Amazon emails address you by name or your actual account information. A message that starts with