TECH | tip
by Annie Jenkins, Digital Communications Specialist, International Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood Email phishing is a type of online scam where criminals impersonate legitimate organizations in order to steal sensitive information. It is one of the most common online threats, but there are ways to identify these frauds and protect yourself. PROTECT YOURSELF fromEmail Phishing Scams
HOW TO IDENTIFY SUSPICIOUS EMAILS, LINKS AND ATTACHMENTS The email asks you to confirm personal information such as
WHAT TO DO IF YOU RECEIVE A SUSPICIOUS EMAIL
The email contains suspicious attachments. Just like with links, never open an attachment in an email unless you are absolutely sure it is valid. The email is poorly written. Spelling and grammar mistakes, strange phrasing and other issues are all signs of phishing emails. The email is designed to make you panic. If an email encourages you to take immediate action, such as clicking on a link to update your compromised password, pause and evaluate the email first. The email offer is too good to be true. If a company emails you offering free gift cards and merchandise, pause and evaluate it first.
banking details or login credentials. Legitimate companies will not request sensitive information via email. The email address does not look genuine. If you have doubts about an email’s validity, check the email address. The email might say it is from Costco, but if you look closer and check the actual address, it does not match. The email contains suspicious links. Never click on a link in an email unless you are absolutely sure it is valid. Before clicking on a link, hover over it first. The link may look correct within the body of the email but is actually something different. For example, you may see Amazon.com, but when you hover over the link, it is Amazon123.com.
Move the email to your junk folder. You should not click to unsubscribe
or reply to the sender.
Do not click on any links or open any attachments.
This article was adapted from a
program created by Kristen Kildebeck, BF, Chandler, Arizona.
19
May–June 2022 | THE P.E.O. RECORD
WWW.PEOINTERNATIONAL.ORG
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