Phishing emails are designed to look like legitimate emails from trusted sources, but they are actually fraudulent messages that attempt to trick you into sharing sensitive information or downloading malware onto your computer. Here are some tips to help you spot a phishing email:
- Check the sender’s email address: Phishing emails often come from email addresses that look similar to the real company’s email address but with slight variations. For example, instead of [email protected], the phishing email may come from [email protected] or [email protected].
- Look for spelling and grammar mistakes: Phishing emails often contain typos, grammatical errors, and awkward phrasing.
- Be wary of urgent or threatening language: Phishing emails may try to create a sense of urgency or panic by threatening to close your account or suggesting that you need to take immediate action to avoid consequences.
- Check the links: Phishing emails often contain links that lead to fake websites designed to steal your information. Hover over the link to see the URL and check whether it matches the URL of the company it claims to be from.
- Don’t download attachments: Phishing emails may contain attachments that contain malware. Don’t download any attachments unless you’re sure they are safe.
- Check for branding: Phishing emails often lack the branding and logos of the company they claim to be from. If the email looks generic or unbranded, it may be a phishing attempt.
- Don’t provide personal information: Legitimate companies will never ask for sensitive information such as passwords, social security numbers, or credit card numbers via email. If an email asks you to provide this information, it’s likely a phishing attempt.
If you suspect that an email is a phishing attempt, do not reply to the email or click on any links or attachments. Instead, report the email to your company’s IT department/ provider or delete it immediately.
