# Why Scout flagged an email

When an email looks like a scam, Scout marks it Possible phishing and lists the reasons. Open Why? to see every signal it found.

Staying safe with Scout · Updated October 11, 2026 · https://userookery.com/help/why-scout-held-an-email/

Scout checks every email as it lands. If something looks wrong, like a fake sender or a sudden "new bank details" request, Scout marks the conversation **Possible phishing** and tells you why. On Today, it shows first with a **Flagged by Scout** sticker.

## See why

1. Open the conversation. A red box says: "Be careful with this one."
2. Read the reasons under it. The worst ones come first.
3. Click **Why?** to see every signal Scout found. Each has a sticker: **Danger**, **Watch out** or **Good to know**.
4. At the bottom, the **Sender check** says whether the email really came from the address it shows, and how long you've known the sender.

## Reasons you might see

- It says it's from your own domain, but that couldn't be confirmed.
- The address looks like one you know, but it's a different domain, like `beansupp1y.co` instead of `beansupply.co`.
- The name shows one person or address, but the email came from somewhere else.
- It uses a teammate's name, but comes from outside.
- Replies would go to a different address than the sender.
- A link shows one website but goes to another.
- It has a program or a locked zip file attached.
- It talks about new bank or payment details.
- It pushes you to act fast, or asks for a password, a code or a payment.

## What to do

1. Don't pay, change bank details, or share a code based on this email.
2. Check with the sender another way, using a phone number you already have.
3. If it's a scam, leave it, or close the conversation.

## Good to know

- Flagged email stays in your inbox. Scout marks it so you can't miss it, but doesn't hide it.
- Quill won't draft a reply to a flagged email unless you `@mention` it.
- "Good to know" signals, like "First email from this address", aren't a problem on their own. They help you judge the rest.
- If you forward mail from another account that uses your own domain, Scout may flag it. We're working on that.
- There's no button yet to mark a flagged email as safe.