diff --git a/lib/email_helper/verify.rb b/lib/email_helper/verify.rb
index 8fcaecf69..1a1536d4e 100644
--- a/lib/email_helper/verify.rb
+++ b/lib/email_helper/verify.rb
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ or
             found = Channel::Pop3.new.fetch( { options: params[:inbound][:options] }, 'verify', subject )
           end
         rescue => e
-          result {
+          result = {
             result: 'invalid',
             message: e.to_s,
             subject: subject,
diff --git a/test/unit/email_helper_test.rb b/test/unit/email_helper_test.rb
index 6b1f675c8..8cfa26279 100644
--- a/test/unit/email_helper_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/email_helper_test.rb
@@ -229,8 +229,7 @@ class EmailHelperTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     # realtest - test I
     if !ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1']
-      raise "Need EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1 as ENV variable like export EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1='unittestemailhelper01@znuny.com:somepass'"
-      return
+      fail "Need EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1 as ENV variable like export EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1='unittestemailhelper01@znuny.com:somepass'"
     end
     mailbox_user     = ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1'].split(':')[0]
     mailbox_password = ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1'].split(':')[1]
@@ -359,8 +358,7 @@ class EmailHelperTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     # realtest - test I
     if !ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1']
-      raise "Need EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1 as ENV variable like export EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1='unittestemailhelper01@znuny.com:somepass'"
-      return
+      fail "Need EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1 as ENV variable like export EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1='unittestemailhelper01@znuny.com:somepass'"
     end
     mailbox_user     = ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1'].split(':')[0]
     mailbox_password = ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1'].split(':')[1]
@@ -392,7 +390,7 @@ class EmailHelperTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     # realtest - test I
     if !ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1']
-      raise "Need EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1 as ENV variable like export EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1='unittestemailhelper01@znuny.com:somepass'"
+      fail "Need EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1 as ENV variable like export EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1='unittestemailhelper01@znuny.com:somepass'"
     end
     mailbox_user     = ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1'].split(':')[0]
     mailbox_password = ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1'].split(':')[1]
@@ -411,7 +409,7 @@ class EmailHelperTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     # realtest - test I
     if !ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1']
-      raise "Need EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1 as ENV variable like export EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1='unittestemailhelper01@znuny.com:somepass'"
+      fail "Need EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1 as ENV variable like export EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1='unittestemailhelper01@znuny.com:somepass'"
     end
     mailbox_user     = ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1'].split(':')[0]
     mailbox_password = ENV['EMAILHELPER_MAILBOX_1'].split(':')[1]