Emails from the honor society foundation are recognized as official and legitimate. Our emails can come from a variety of senders and addresses, but the key way to verify the authenticity of our member invitations is to make sure you’re registered on a website with the domain “honorsociety.org.” our website uses ssl to make sure your information is secure and encrypted. In addition, our website is scanned and verified daily by the industry leader in security, TrustedSite.com. see our trustworthy site verification now.
the honor society foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a platinum rating from guidestar. this can be verified by visiting the honor society foundation guide page.
Internet security is very important. Learn more about spotting and protecting yourself against email scams below:
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You open your inbox to a message that sounds too good to be true.
You have been selected to join an honor society and there are perks waiting to be claimed. should you open it? can you trust him?
In today’s digital age, it doesn’t take much for any topic to start trending. Unfortunately, this online attention opens the door to phishing attacks and unscrupulous scammers who want to take advantage of vulnerable recipients.
This extends to honor society emails. While honor society foundation correspondence is always legitimate, safe, and reliable, it can be hard to tell if it’s a real deal or a dishonest imposter. Today, we’re breaking down some of the best ways to double-check before you click.
what are phishing scams?
Phishing is the act of scamming someone into revealing their personal data or system access in exchange for what you believe to be a legitimate purpose. in the email realm, this comes in the form of messages that may appear valid, but are actually quite the opposite.
the main concern?
once you provide your password, account number, or other identifiable information, you can open the door to allowing phishers access to other parts of your life, including your computer system, bank accounts, or sensitive work-related files.
While these may seem like isolated incidents, they are anything but rare. In fact, the FBI’s Internet Crime Reporting Center (IC3) receives more than 1,300 complaints every day from Internet users reporting Internet-related crimes, with phishing ranking number one as the most reported crime.
the hard part?
Phishing emails have come a long way. they are no longer flashy, spammy and obviously fake. now, most of them seem reputable. they can appear to come from a source you know and trust, and your branding is more professional than ever.
These tactics make it especially difficult to tell if you’re contacting a professional source, such as the honor society foundation. Let’s take a look at some ways you can identify if the message you’re seeing is real or fake.
1. sensitive information requests
One of the first red flags that you may not be looking at valid email? You should never feel pressured to open a link or attachment and divulge sensitive information.
This is true even if the request seems reasonable. For example, the sender might say that your honor society foundation account has been hacked and you need to reset your password. or they can request that I update her profile by clicking the link and adding more information.
Often, these are combined with threats that appeal to your emotions. for example, the message might explain that you will lose access to your account if you don’t update your password. or they will say there is a problem with your payment information and they need you to double check the details.
However, as compelling as these claims may be, keep in mind that a professional honor society would never request that kind of information via email. From passwords to credit card information, there are many different forms of data that phishers can request, and it’s important to stay vigilant and protect yourself against such false claims.
2. questionable domain names
Sure, the sender’s email id may sound legitimate. for example, it could be “honorocietyus” or “studenhonors” or anything like that.
however, take a closer look at your full email address. what does the domain say?
our correspondence will end in “honorsociedad.org”. Does the domain look equally professional or is it completely unrelated to the sender’s name?
Many times, senders will create identifiers that hide the details of your email address. for example, your inbox may include messages from a sender labeled simply “honor society.” Hover over your “from” name and you should be able to see your full email address.
Instead of brushing, go over it with a fine tooth comb. illegitimate senders often have email addresses that look real, but include misspellings or appended numbers. For example, a company trying to impersonate an honor society foundation might change the spelling to “honorsoceity.org” or “honorsociety25” in the domain. this change of a single letter or number allows them to appear real, and many people will read too quickly to notice such errors.
3. generic greetings
At the founding of the honor society, we are proud of each of our members! we know you by name and will address you as such.
To that end, keep an eye out for emails that look real, but begin with a generic opener, such as “dear sir or madam” or “dear member.” While not all emails that start this way will be fake, this is another sign that the sender doesn’t know you as well as they seem.
Especially if they request your participation in a project or need sensitive account information, they should call you by name. from there, they should instruct you to contact them by phone, rather than sharing that data over the internet.
then there are some untrustworthy senders who just avoid a greeting altogether. these phishing emails will often appear overly commercialized and overly branded, with so many bizarre details that personal monitoring is easy to miss.
4. inaccurate logos
Are there logos on the email? if so, do a double take and compare them to images you know you can trust. If the email appears to be from a trustworthy honor society, go ahead and open their home page in a separate window and compare the two logos.
Does the one you’re looking at seem to be the same or is it a little altered? if it’s the latter, this could be a sign that the sender tried to recreate the logo but, without the same professional tools, he couldn’t do it.
Poor photoshop work is often easy to spot, but keep in mind that today’s phishing scams are more sophisticated than ever, so it’s not always accurate to judge based on images and logos alone.
5. bad grammar
Of all senders, I would expect an honor society foundation email to be polished and professional. it shouldn’t be riddled with misspellings and grammatical errors!
Perhaps one of the easiest ways to spot a fake message is to take a look at the body of the text. Does it sound expertly drafted or hastily written?
Unfortunately, hackers and phishers are fully aware of what they are doing. most of the time, they are not ignorant. rather, the opposite is true.
They are tech-savvy computer experts trying to beat the system. as such, they will take advantage of anyone they think will miss or miss errors like these. you can find random numbers in between sentences, missing words, and a host of other problems that are usually easy to spot if you read carefully.
6. immediate redirects to the website
Were you taken to a website as soon as you clicked to open the email in question?
Many times, phishing emails are encoded as a giant hyperlink. that means you will be redirected to the sender’s (fake) website, no matter which part of the message you click. sometimes a single click will even start a spam download on your computer.
It is important to understand that legitimate honor societies will never inadvertently redirect you to their website. you should be able to click on any email you open without being surprised by a new window or a download you didn’t ask to receive.
7. unsolicited attachments
Did you get an email you weren’t expecting, from a sender you don’t recognize, with an attachment you’re not sure about?
Any time a trusted sender includes any type of file in their message, it’s usually because the recipient is expecting it. for example, you may receive an attachment from your colleague at work.
However, if the email doesn’t seem authentic at first, an unsolicited attachment is another red flag. Most reputable companies will send you a link to visit their website to download articles, fill out forms, and take other actions. they won’t require you to do it all from your inbox.
As with other tips, this one is not fail-safe. there may be some professional companies that send occasional attachments. most of the time, however, you will be able to recognize and remember them.
Make a note of which reputable companies routinely send you attachments. For example, a technology company you follow might send their latest white papers to all of their email marketing subscribers. Or, a fitness instructor can attach a pdf meal plan to the email they send to their social media followers.
If you recognize and can validate the source, not all attachments are suspicious. however, if this is one of the many issues that are calling your attention, it’s worth noting.
8. weird subject lines
Does the email subject look strange? does it match the body of the email or does it seem completely out of context?
again, while not every topic that draws attention will be malicious, this is an important part of your analysis. As you review the domain names and read the body of the message, don’t forget to take a close look at what the subject actually says.
While you’re in the subject box section, go ahead and check out the cc: dot as well. Were there people copied in the email that you don’t know? Do your email addresses and domain names look weird? this is another sign that it’s fake.
9. weird timelines
yes, there are big name companies that just operate in a different time zone than yours. if the rest of your email checks out, an odd send time might not be too much of a concern.
however, what if the email already looks fake and it arrives at 3:00 in the morning? this could be another attack against the sender and another reason to delete the message.
10. misaligned url and anchor text
If there are links in the body of the email, hover over them before clicking. This will allow you to see the URL behind the anchor text, which reveals the website a click will take you to.
check to make sure these two are aligned. for example, a link embedded in the text that says “click here to join our society today!” it should clearly take the user to an application or registration page. If it redirects to a suspicious-looking URL that doesn’t include those keywords or similar phrases, don’t click on it.
identify emails from reputable honor societies
At the founding of the honor society, we are proud of the reputation that precedes us. We are a nationally recognized society created to recognize and reward students who excel in leadership and academics.
When you become a member, you can receive access to our exclusive honor society emails, where we’ll send you up-to-date information on career services, member benefits, networking opportunities and more.
We want to make sure our messages don’t get mixed up with impostors, so we strive to make it as easy as possible for you. Check out our new book coming this month to Amazon titled, “Watch for Scams at HonorSociety.org: 10 Ways to Spot Real or Fake Emails.”
If you have any questions about whether the honor society communication is legit, feel free to contact us to verify!