Identifying Phishing Scams

Phishng scams are a nasty kind of spam email, designed to get access to sensitive information or spread viruses and malware.  Falling prey to one of these scams can result in identity theft, corporate security breaches, or infected computers.

Phishing emails have many of the same identifying markers as other spam emails.  Check the sender’s name and email address to make sure you recognize them.  If the email address looks strange, is misspelled, or doesn’t sound familiar, it may be a scam.  Some phishing emails say there is a problem with one of your accounts; in these cases, you can search the email address through Google or another search engine to find out if the address is legitimate.

Look at the subject of the email as well.  Anything that looks too good to be true or looks like an unsolicited offer should be a red flag.  Often, there will be mention of money or medicines at low prices; these are giveaways that the email is malicious.

If you end up opening a suspicious email, beware of any links it may contain.  Frequently, links in phishing emails lead to spoofed sites – websites that look like your bank or email account, but aren’t – or they download malicious code that can then be spread to other computers.  False links could trick you into giving up personal information or clearance permissions, leading to hacks to breaches.

Remember your common sense precautions.  Don’t open an email you’re not sure about.  Never give out passwords, banking details, or personal or other sensitive information in response to an email.  If you are worried about an account somewhere, go to that site and try to login.

Paying attention can keep phishing emails to a mild nuisance and allow you to enjoy your online experience.  For quality, affordable high speed internet service in your area, contact us today.