If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
That's a good rule of thumb to spot a scam. Educating yourself is the best defense against fraud, identity theft, and other scams.
What is Phishing email?
A phishing email is a fraudulent message crafted to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers. These emails often imitate legitimate sources, like banks or popular websites, to appear credible. Their aim is to exploit a person's trust in the institution, persuading them to provide personal information, clicking on malicious links or download attachments that contain a virus or malware.
How to recognize a phishing email?
Phishing emails may include generic greeting, spelling and grammar mistakes (although not always) and urgent or threating language that pressure the recipient to act quickly.
Suspicious links or attachments and senders email addresses that DON'T match the legitimate organization they claim to represent are also telltale signs. Additionally, requests for sensitive information, which organizations should never ask via email, are a huge red flag.
- You have won a contest or a prize and must claim it.
- Someone has sent you a gift or a coupon that you need to activate.
- Your financial institution must confirm your details.
- A pending money transfer to your account requires your authorization.
- The expensive purchase you made needs verification.
- A virus was detected on your phone.
- Your account was locked due to suspicious activity or unusual login attempts.
Why are phishing emails dangerous?
The dangers of phishing emails are significant. They can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and malware infections. Victims may face unauthorized transactions, loss of control over personal accounts, and long term damage to their credit score. The personal impact of these threats include stress, loss of privacy, and potential legal issues if one's identity is used for illegal activities.
How to report Phishing
Reporting phishing attempts is a critical step in protecting yourself and others from online scams.
- Locate the phishing email using your mouse, right click the email
- From the pop-up window, click on Report
- Click on Report phishing
