Is This Email Spam or a Scam? Checker
Paste an email you received, with its headers if you can. The checker lists the red flags it finds, explains each one, and gives a simple verdict: Looks safe, Be careful or Likely scam.
If you didn't paste the headers, copy the sender's name and address here.
Runs 100% in your browser. Nothing you paste is uploaded, and no links in it are opened.
The red flags it looks for
| Red flag | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Link text doesn't match the real link | The text says paypal.com but the link goes somewhere else. The most common phishing trick. |
| Look-alike domains | paypa1.com, rnicrosoft.com (r and n look like m) or amazon-billing.net imitate real brands. |
| Links to IP addresses or shorteners | Real companies link to their own named site. Numbers and bit.ly links hide the destination. |
| Free email pretending to be a company | "PayPal Security Team" writing from a Gmail address is never PayPal. |
| Reply-To is different from From | Your reply goes to the scammer, even though the From line looks real. |
| Failed SPF, DKIM or DMARC | Your mail provider tested the sender and the email didn't pass, so the From address may be forged. |
| Urgency and threats | "Your account will be suspended within 24 hours" is designed to make you act before you think. |
| Money, gift cards or crypto | No real company, bank or government agency asks to be paid in gift cards or Bitcoin. |
| Requests for passwords or codes | No real company asks you to send a password or the code it just texted you. |
Think it's a scam? What to do
- Don't click links, open attachments or reply. Don't call phone numbers in the email either.
- Check another way. Type the company's address into your browser yourself, or use its app, and look for the message there.
- Report it. In Gmail, open the email and choose More > Report phishing. In Outlook, use Report > Report phishing. In the US you can also forward it to
[email protected]and report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. See how to report phishing emails for every provider. - Already clicked or replied? Change the password for that account straight away, turn on two-step verification, and call your bank if you shared card or bank details.
A guide, not a guarantee
This checker looks for patterns that are common in scam and spam email. A clever scam can avoid every one of them, and a genuine email can trip a flag (a real bank email may mention your "account" and "password"). If an email asks you to do something important, such as pay, log in or share details, confirm it through the company's official website or app, whatever this checker says. For a deeper look at where an email came from, paste its headers into the email header analyzer.
Related free tools
Related guides on EmailNa
What the spam and scam email checker does
When an email looks a little off, this checker reads it for the warning signs that scam and phishing emails usually share: links that lie about where they go, domains made to look like PayPal or Microsoft, free email accounts posing as companies, replies routed to a different address, failed sender checks, and pressure to pay or hand over a password. Each red flag comes with a short explanation, and the email gets a simple verdict.
Benefits
- Plain-English red flagsEvery warning says what was found, quotes the words or links, and explains why it matters.
- Catches fake linksFinds links whose text says one site while the real address goes to another, plus shorteners and links to bare IP addresses.
- Spots look-alike domainsCatches paypa1, rnicrosoft, amaz0n and brand names tucked inside other domains.
- Reads the headersPaste the full original email and it checks From, Reply-To and the SPF, DKIM and DMARC results your provider recorded.
- Simple verdictLooks safe, Be careful or Likely scam, with what to do next.
- Nothing uploadedThe email is checked in your browser. Links in it are never opened.
Who it is for
- Anyone who got an email about a locked account, a parcel, an invoice or a prize and isn't sure it is real.
- Someone checking an email from a stranger who asks for money, gift cards or crypto.
- A small-business owner who received a "supplier" email with new bank details.
- A family member helping a parent or grandparent check a suspicious message.
How to use it
- Open the email. For the best result, copy the full original message: in Gmail use More > Show original; in Outlook use View message details or File > Properties.
- Paste it into the box. If you only copy the text, add the sender's address in the second box.
- Press Check this email and read the verdict and red flags.
- If you're unsure, don't click anything. Contact the company through its own website or app, and report the email as phishing.
Your privacy
The email you paste is checked by code running in your browser. It isn't uploaded to ListaFix or anywhere else, and the checker never opens or visits the links it finds.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if an email is a scam?
Look at where links really go (hover over them on a computer), check the sender's full address, not just the name, and be suspicious of urgency, threats and requests for money, gift cards, passwords or codes. This checker looks for all of these at once. Our guide Is this email legit? walks through each check.
Is this checker always right?
No. It is a guide, not a guarantee. It looks for common warning signs, but a well-made scam can avoid them and a genuine email can trigger some. If an email asks you to pay, log in or share details, confirm through the company's official website or app.
Why should I paste the headers?
The headers show the real sender, any hidden Reply-To address and the results of the SPF, DKIM and DMARC checks your email provider ran. Without them, the checker can only read the text and links.
What does it mean if DMARC failed?
Your provider checked whether the email really came from the domain in the From line, and it didn't pass. For a message claiming to be from a bank or a big brand, that is a strong sign it is forged.
Can I check an email address for spam?
Yes. Paste the sender's address in the second box along with the message. The checker flags look-alike brand domains and free accounts posing as companies. To see how old the sender's domain is, use the WHOIS lookup.
I clicked a link in a scam email. What now?
If you entered a password, change it at once on the real site and turn on two-step verification. If you shared card or bank details, call your bank. Run a security scan if you downloaded anything, then report the email as phishing.
Is the email I paste uploaded?
No. The check runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere. The links in the email are never opened.