When you’re going through your email and before you click that link, here are some things to consider first:
- Does it ask for personal or sensitive information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, an account number, or login credentials? Most legitimate businesses will not request such data in email.
- Does it ask you to click on a link to access a website? That site might be fake.
- Does the email have a generic salutation rather than your name? Your bank and various service providers know who you are, and typically address you by name.
- Does it have an attachment? Red flag! If you’re not expecting an attachment, don’t click on it; confirm its validity with the sender.
- When you move your mouse over the email, is the entire message a hyperlink? If so, it’s likely a phishing attack.
- If the email makes an offer too good to be true, such as a large sum of money, a prepaid gift card, or an expensive piece of electronics for free, again … phishing attack.
- Be careful of emails that make an emotional plea while asking for money. While many charities use such tactics, it’s also a popular approach for phishers and scam artists.
- If an email claims you have an immediate problem, such as a virus or that you’re running out of storage space, and demands immediate action, be skeptical.
- If it makes a direct threat and insists that you take immediate action by clicking a link for the IRS, a police agency, or the like, it’s fake.
- An email might appear to be from a friend asking for money. Never send money without calling first to confirm the request.
© Good Sense Security LLC — April 2020