Suspicious email

Phishing email scams are cybercrime in which a person is contacted by email from someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as identifying information, banking and credit card details and passwords or personal identification numbers (PINs).

Fraudsters are excellent at designing emails to look legitimate to trick us. We need to be alert and identify the details that clue us to the criminal’s fake email. Read these tips to understand what to look for in a Phishing email.

• Too good to be true: The fraudster will offer eye-catching deals that are designed to attract your attention immediately. For example, a claim that you have won a lottery or an expensive prize and you need to act now to claim your prize.
   
• Sense of Urgency: Fraudsters are usually successful when they scare you into clicking on a fake link by claiming that your bank account needs your immediate attention or that the order you just placed online needs your attention to be completed. The email will seem like it’s from a legitimate source and the scammers are praying on your fears to act now.
• Hyperlinks: Most of these fake emails will encourage you to click a link to solve the problem or claim your prize. This most likely is a fictitious website that is designed to steal your information. If you hover your mouse over the link, you can see where this fake link is really taking you. Pay attention and look closely. You will find a misspelling or see that the link is not taking you where you expect. When in doubt, don’t click!
   
• Attachments: If you see attachments in an email you weren’t expecting or that doesn’t make sense, don’t open it! It could be a way for the scammers to infect your device with ransomware or a virus.
   
• Unusual Sender: Whether the email looks like it’s from someone you know or don’t know, if it seems out of the ordinary or unexpected just delete it.

Use this link from the FTC for more information on Phishing emails. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams