What to Do Before Clicking a Link in a Text or Email

You get a message that looks important.

Your package is delayed.

Your account has been locked.

There is a problem with your payment.

Someone tried to sign in.

You need to verify your information.

And right underneath the warning is a link.

It can be tempting to click immediately.

That is exactly why suspicious links work so well.

The message creates a problem, then conveniently gives you a button or link that supposedly fixes it.

Before clicking, take a few seconds to check what you are looking at.

1. Ask Yourself: Was I Expecting This?

Start with the simplest question.

Was I expecting this message?

Maybe you recently:

• Ordered a package

• Requested a password reset

• Signed into an account

• Contacted customer service

• Made a purchase

• Asked for a verification email

If the message matches something you actually did, it may be legitimate.

If it appears completely out of nowhere, slow down.

Unexpected messages deserve extra scrutiny.

2. Look at Who Sent It

Do not look only at the display name.

A message might say it is from:

“Amazon”

“Your Bank”

“Apple Support”

“Netflix”

“PayPal”

But the actual email address may tell a different story.

Look closely.

You may notice:

• Misspellings

• Extra words

• Random numbers

• Strange domains

• An address that has nothing to do with the company

A professional-looking company name at the top of an email does not prove the message came from that company.

3. Read the Message Before Reacting

Scam messages often try to trigger an emotional reaction.

They may tell you:

• Your account will be suspended

• You have been charged hundreds of dollars

• Your package will be returned

• Someone logged into your account

• Your payment failed

• You have an unpaid bill

The goal is often to get you worried enough that you click without thinking.

Before doing anything, ask:

What exactly is this message asking me to do?

4. Do Not Assume a Familiar Logo Means It Is Real

It is easy to copy a company logo.

A scam email can include:

• Brand colors

• Company logos

• Professional formatting

• Copyright notices

• Customer service language

It may look almost identical to a legitimate email.

Judge the message by more than its appearance.

5. Look Carefully at the Link

A link may contain the name of a real company while actually leading somewhere else.

For example, a suspicious link might include words like:

amazon-support

apple-verification

bank-security

delivery-update

Those words can make the address look convincing.

The important part is the actual website domain.

On a computer, you can often hover over a link without clicking it to see where it leads.

On a phone, be cautious about pressing or opening suspicious links just to investigate them.

If you are unsure, skip the link entirely.

6. Go to the Website Yourself

This is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself.

If the message says there is a problem with an account, do not use the link in the message.

Instead:

Open the official app.

Type the website address yourself.

Use a saved bookmark.

Call the company using a number you already trust.

If there really is a problem, you will usually be able to see it in your account.

7. Be Careful With “Verify Your Account” Messages

Verification is a common theme in phishing scams.

You might see:

“Verify your identity.”

“Confirm your account.”

“Update your billing information.”

“Secure your account now.”

The page you land on may look exactly like a real login page.

But when you type in your username and password, that information may be going directly to a scammer.

If a message tells you to log in, go to the account independently instead.

8. Watch for Small Payments

Some scam messages do not ask for much money.

You may be told you owe:

$1.99

$2.50

$5.00

The amount may seem harmless.

But the goal may not be the fee.

The goal may be to collect your credit or debit card information.

Do not assume a payment request is safe simply because the amount is small.

9. Do Not Trust a Link Just Because It Starts With “https”

People sometimes assume that a website is safe because it has a padlock symbol or begins with “https.”

That only tells you that the connection to the website is encrypted.

It does not guarantee that the website itself is legitimate.

A scam website can also use encryption.

You still need to verify that you are on the correct site.

10. Check for Pressure

Look for phrases such as:

• Act now

• Immediate action required

• Final warning

• Your account will be closed

• Respond within one hour

• Your package will be destroyed

• Your payment will increase

Urgency is a common tactic because it reduces the amount of time you spend thinking.

Give yourself permission to ignore the deadline long enough to verify what is happening.

11. Ask: Can I Solve This Another Way?

This may be the most useful question of all.

If a text says your bank account has a problem, open your banking app.

If an email says your Amazon order has an issue, open Amazon directly.

If a message says your package cannot be delivered, check the tracking number through the delivery company.

If a message says your password needs to be changed, visit the site yourself.

You usually do not need the link in the message.

What If You Already Clicked?

Do not panic.

Clicking a link does not automatically mean something bad happened.

Think about what happened next.

Did you:

• Enter a password?

• Enter credit card information?

• Provide personal information?

• Download a file?

• Install an app?

• Give someone a verification code?

If you entered login information, change the password directly through the legitimate website or app.

If you used the same password elsewhere, change it there too.

If you entered financial information, contact your bank or card issuer using a trusted phone number.

If you downloaded something suspicious, stop interacting with it and consider having the device checked.

A Good Habit to Build

When a message tells you that something is wrong, try not to let the message control what you do next.

Instead of:

Message → Link → Login

Train yourself to think:

Message → Pause → Verify independently

That small change can make a big difference.

The Bottom Line

You do not have to decide whether every message is definitely real or definitely fake.

You just have to decide whether it is safe to click.

And when you are unsure, there is usually a safer option.

Go directly to the company.

Open the official app.

Call a trusted number.

Ask someone else to take a look.

Because the safest link is often the one you never needed to click in the first place.

If it feels off, pause before you tap.