With access to your accounts, all your confidential information and private files (remember, services like Google Drive are tied to your Gmail account) will be available to them. You could fall prey to identity theft. Once cybercriminals gain access to your email, they can learn enough about you to steal your identity.
In addition to the risks of hacking and phishing, email also poses the danger of sensitive information being forwarded, saved, or printed without the sender's control. With the widespread use of electronic devices, including cloud email services, this risk is even greater.
What can a scammer do with your email? Stolen credentials allow a scammer to send malicious messages or malware links to your contacts, extract personal or financial information from your saved messages, or get your friends and family to send money to them under false pretenses.
If you don't know the person's name, use 'Dear Sir/Madam', or 'To whom it may concern'. Top Tip: Remember to always include a comma after 'Dear [Name]'! If you have a more casual or informal relationship with the person you're emailing, something like 'Hi [First Name]' or 'Hello [First Name]' is perfectly acceptable.
But “To Whom It May Concern” cover letters are almost universally considered unacceptable today. In fact, “To Whom It May Concern” may even be considered rude since resources for finding the name of a contact person are readily available. This greeting may signal that you can't be bothered to find out who to contact.
It's also possible hackers could use your email account to gain access to your bank account or credit card information, draining funds from an account, or racking up charges. They might even use your email and password to sign up for online sites and services, sticking you with monthly fees in the process.
A threat actor can discover your name, location, online accounts, contacts, and even your SSN if your email address was part of a serious breach. They can use this information to launch phishing attacks, spam you, steal your identity, or compromise your security.
Hackers know the value of your email account. Once they're in, they can use it to gain access to your bank account, social media profiles, and other sensitive online accounts. Don't ignore the signs of a hacked inbox. If anything looks suspicious or you suddenly can't log in, act fast!
You could fall prey to identity theft.
Once cybercriminals gain access to your email, they can learn enough about you to steal your identity. Information like your employment contracts, bank and insurance documents, and tax information could be stored as attachments in your email.
Examples of information you should never send via email include: Social Security numbers. Driver's License numbers. Passport numbers.
You could be receiving spam or phishing emails, and it's good that you mark this email as spam, or block the sender to prevent any future messages.
Stealing Infrastructure
If you're a hacker, you want access to computing resources and you don't want to pay for them. In these instances, you might launch an attack designed to steal infrastructure. Such an attack allows you to take control of the storage, compute or network resources owned by other people.
When you're looking through sent mail, check the recipients and when the emails were sent. If you don't remember sending those communications, that's a key sign your account has been compromised. It's also worth checking your Sent and Drafts folders for messages with attachments, a primary vector for phishing malware.
If you are introducing yourself to someone you've never met, it could be appropriate to use, "To Whom It May Concern." For example, if you received a request for a quote, or information regarding your business, from a generic company inbox or feedback form, you might address your response, "To Whom It May Concern." ...
When you see “best regards” near the end of a message, it simply means the writer wishes you well. It is a semiformal letter ending, versatile enough for both personal and professional correspondence.
To Whom It May Concern: Use only when you do not know to whom you must address the letter, for example, when writing to an institution. Dear Sir/Madam, Use when writing to a position without having a named contact.
Hi [contact's name], It was nice to meet you at [occasion where you met]. I'm really interested to learn more about your role as [job title], as [reason why you're interested]. If you have time in the coming weeks, I'd love to take you to coffee and hear more about [something you'd like to ask about].