Security

Smart email safety tips to protect your inbox from scams

This one goes out to anyone who has almost clicked on something they shouldn't have. Here's everything you actually need to know about email scams and keeping it secure.

September 15, 2026

Aline Rivas, Head of Content & Social Media

Yes, smart people can fall for email scams, too

The average person spends 6 hours and 45 minutes on a screen. And who knows if those people are shopping on their small screen (smartphone) while streaming reruns of The Office on their big screen (TV) at the same time. Attention is short.

Scammers know this. In fact, around 600,000 Australians were scammed in 2025. And those fraudsters had quite the payday… something to the tune of $2 billion, as ACCC figures show. That’s one in seventeen Australians having a bad day.

The top five types of scams were responsible for 60 per cent of losses, with phishing scams responsible for losses of $97.6 million and remote access scams racking up to $69.9 million. Scammers aren't rattling the front door. They're sliding something under it that looks like your electricity bill.

This one goes out to anyone who has almost clicked on something they shouldn't have. Here's everything you actually need to know about email scams and keeping it secure.

TLDR

Email is a popular entry point for scammers. Phishing, malware and account takeovers almost always begin in the inbox.
Keep an eye out for some common red flags: Check the sender address, hover over links before clicking… and think again when you read an urgent email.
Don’t be afraid to get a second set of eyes to see if it’s legit.

Why scam emails work? (no, you’re not gullible!)

The psychology of manipulation is very real

Grifters and swindlers have always existed. Some of the most prolific have even had movies made about them. Two of those have even been played by Leonardio Di Caprio (Catch Me If You Can and The Wolf of Wall Street, for those playing at home).

Scam emails work because scammers are good at what they do. Fear does crazy things to people. They know that we’re wired to act quickly in a risky situation. It’s human psych 101.

Trust and credibility

Scammers can impersonate the actual government or legit businesses to get you to hand over your email security. Some of them will even pose as your CEO, asking you to transfer money to them for whatever reason.

Add to that the sheer volume of emails most people receive daily, and the fact that we're often checking them while half-watching television. It's almost less surprising that people click; it’s surprising that more people don't.

How to spot a phishing email

Phishing emails are designed to get you to open them. That’s the whole point.

Once you know what exactly to look for, you won’t feel like it’s a needle in a haystack, and you can catch the tells almost every time.

The anatomy of a scam email

Element	What Legitimate Emails Do	What Scam Emails Do
Sender address	Ends in the company's real domain (e.g. @superloop.com)	Uses lookalike domains (e.g. @superloop-billing.net)
Greeting	Uses your actual name	Says "Dear Customer" or "Dear User"
Tone	Calm, informational	Urgent — "Act NOW or your account will be suspended"
Links	URL matches the company's real website	Hover reveals a mismatched or suspicious URL
Attachments	PDFs or documents you requested	Unexpected .exe, .scr or .zip files
Request	Never asks for your password or payment details via email	Asks you to "verify" credentials or update payment urgently

Some classic phishing email examples

Here are some red flags when it comes to email scams…

Urgency

Look out for phrasing like:

"Your account will be suspended in 24 hours."
"Immediate action required."
"You have an unpaid invoice."

It’s understandable when you think that someone is stealing your money. But this might actually mean they do end up stealing it from your frantic reaction. A real business will give you time to act. It’s an email, not heart surgery.

Generic greetings

Any company you have an account with knows your name. "Dear Customer" or "Dear Account Holder" is a tell that the sender doesn't actually know who you are. They're casting a wide net.

Mismatched URLs

Before clicking any link in an email, hover over it. The actual URL will appear in the bottom corner of your browser or as a preview on mobile. If the email claims to be from Superloop but the link goes to superloop-account-verify.ru, don't click it.

Attachments: The Trojan horse of the inbox

An unexpected attachment should fire some big alarm bells when it comes to email security. Malware can arrive disguised as an invoice, delivery notification or some other very important top-secret document.

Never open these file types from an unexpected source:

.exe — executable files that run programs on your device
.scr — screensaver files that can execute malicious code
.zip — compressed files that may contain any of the above
.docm or .xlsm — macro-enabled Office files that can run scripts

If you weren't expecting an attachment, don't open it. Even if you trust that person. Pick up the phone to confirm before opening anything. We’re sure that they’ll want to know if they’re being impersonated, too.

How Superloop will (and won't!) contact you

Knowing how we actually speak and write to you is a good way to keep your guard up when it comes to email scams.

Superloop will:

Send emails from addresses ending in:
@marketing.superloop.com
@transactional.superloop.com
@superloop.com
Direct you to log into your account via the official website to update details
Never rush you into an action. No legitimate account action requires an immediate response within minutes

Superloop will never:

Ask for your password via email

Request payment details through an unsolicited email

Threaten immediate account suspension without prior notice

If you receive an email claiming to be from Superloop that doesn't feel right, don't click anything. Go directly to our app or the online SuperHub and log in to your account from there.

Tools that can help you with email security

You don't have to spot every scam yourself. Here are some good habits to build when it comes to email security:

Spam filters — Most clever scams get caught before they reach your inbox. Some don't, which is why the human layer matters too.
"Report Phishing" button — Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail all have this. Using it doesn't just protect you, it trains the filter to catch similar emails for everyone.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) — Even if a scammer gets your password, 2FA means they still can't get in. Enable it on your email account and anywhere else that matters.
Password manager — Using unique passwords for every account means one compromised login doesn't cascade into everything else.

One more layer: eero Secure

Knowing how to spot an email scam is just the human layer of security. eero Secure is the network layer, catching threats before they reach your devices.

If you’re a Superloop customer with an eero 7 or eero PRO 7 supplied by us, eero Secure is included at no extra cost as long as you stay connected with Superloop. That’s network-wide protection for every device in the house, laptops, phones, smart TVs and tablets that your kids definitely use for only homework and nothing else.

What eero Secure does…

Blocks malicious websites and phishing links in real time — before anyone in the household can accidentally click them
Network-wide ad blocking — across every device, without installing anything on individual devices

Content filters — by age, category, social media, gaming and streaming platforms

Get your modem to pull its security weight, too. Read more about eero Secure and what’s included for Superloop customers.

Internet safer with Superloop

Gone are the days when scams were Nigerian princes promising you outlandish piles of gold. Today, they can come from anywhere, disguised as a job offer email, an Amazon gift card or even just get you to sign into your Facebook account.

It’s really hard to detect scams these days, so don’t take it too hard if you’ve fallen for it. Being a healthy level of sceptical, learning about these tactics and practising good email security can help you stay in control.

Stay safe out there…and if you need us, explore our nbn® plans today.

FAQ

Act quickly. Disconnect from the internet immediately, run a virus scan on your device and switch up all your passwords. Start with your email account and use a different device that you trust. If you've entered any financial details, contact your bank straight away.

Check that the email address ends in @marketing.superloop.com or @transactional.superloop.com or @superloop.com. Even if it looks close, it’s not us. It’s best to just log into the apps rather than clicking on any links in the email.

Only on legitimate newsletters from companies you actually know. Like deep down. On unsolicited spam or suspicious emails, unsubscribing confirms your address is active… which often results in more spam, not less. It’s best to block and delete the whole email.

Superloop offers an SMS scam filter for mobile plans. The system scans messages for suspicious patterns, such as unusual sender info or content. If a message is flagged, it’s reviewed and blocked if confirmed as a scam.

Written by

Aline Rivas

Head of Content & Social Media

I've spent the last 4 years at Superloop making complex telco topics genuinely easy to read, driven by a mission to help challenger telcos take on the big guys.