Leading cyber-experts have revealed the sinister clues that signal there's a costly trap waiting in your Gmail or any other email service that you use. Email is one of the most easiest ways for hackers to target victims. They can send out mass emails – or highly specialised messages – designed to con you out of information or money. These "phishing" attacks are increasingly sophisticated, so it's important to know the signs.

Watch Out for These Warning Signs

The first sign is when you see a strange image inside the email. McAfee warned email users to watch out for "poor visual design, like stretched logos, mismatched colors, and cheap stock photos".

The second sign is when an email address is odd and/or slightly altered from the brand name it's supposed to be. If something looks a little off, this can be a major sign that you're the target of a phishing attack.

Third is an awkward introduction – like "Dear Sir or Madam" – in an email supposedly coming from your bank. Fourthly, watch out for typos. "Bad spelling and grammar, which indicates the communication is not coming from a professional organization," McAfee explained.

The fifth sign is when you see "urgent calls to action or threats". The sender may "pressure you to claim a reward or pay a fine immediately followed by a link to do so," McAfee said.

Finally, watch out for any email that contains an unexpected attachment. These attachments might appear to be a shipping invoice or bill. But they're potentially being used to hide "payloads of malware and ransomware". "This can take a sharp eye to spot," the McAfee cyber-expert advised. "When you get emails like these, take a moment to scrutinize them and certainly don’t click on any links."