¶ What is Phishing?
Phishing is an attempt by cybercriminals posing as legitimate institutions, usually via email, to obtain sensitive information from targeted individuals.
¶ Common Features of Phishing Emails
- Too Good To Be True - Lucrative offers and eye-catching or attention-grabbing statements are designed to attract people’s attention immediately. For instance, many claim that you have won an iPhone, a lottery, or some other lavish prize. Just don't click on any suspicious emails. Remember that if it seems to good to be true, it probably is!
- Sense of Urgency - A favorite tactic amongst cybercriminals is to ask you to act fast because the super deals are only for a limited time. Some of them will even tell you that you have only a few minutes to respond. When you come across these kinds of emails, it's best to just ignore them. Sometimes, they will tell you that your account will be suspended unless you update your personal details immediately. Most reliable organizations give ample time before they terminate an account and they never ask patrons to update personal details over the Internet. When in doubt, visit the source directly rather than clicking a link in an email.
- Hyperlinks - A link may not be all it appears to be. Hovering over a link shows you the actual URL where you will be directed upon clicking on it. It could be completely different or it could be a popular website with a misspelling, for instance www.bankofarnerica.com - the 'm' is actually an 'r' and an 'n', so look carefully.
- Attachments - If you see an attachment in an email you weren't expecting or that doesn't make sense, don't open it! They often contain payloads like ransomware or other viruses. The only file type that is always safe to click on is a .txt file.
- Unusual Sender - Whether it looks like it's from someone you don't know or someone you do know, if anything seems out of the ordinary, unexpected, out of character or just suspicious in general don't click on it!
¶ What do I do if I receive a phishing email?
If you receive a phishing email, most importantly, please do NOT click on any links. If you have not clicked on any links, then you can safely report the email as spam/phishing.
If you did clink on a link in the email, please contact the helpdesk immediately (269-250-9280, support@swmitech.org or https://support.swmitech.org/ ) so we can help ensure that it did not install malware on your device or capture any sensitive information. If you email the helpdesk, please do not attach or forward the message. Please include the subject line of the phishing email and let them know the actions you took (clicking the link, entering any information, etc.) and they will contact you to help you safely send us the email.
¶ How do I report a phishing email?
¶ How to Report an Email as Phishing in Gmail
- Log in to your Gmail account and open your inbox.
- Open the message that you suspect is a phishing attempt.
- Look for the More icon (three vertical dots) next to the Reply button on the message.
- Click on More and then select Report phishing from the dropdown menu.
By reporting a phishing email, you help Gmail improve its filters to protect you and others from potential harm. Remember, it’s important not to click on any links or download any attachments from suspicious emails as they may compromise your personal information. If you’re ever in doubt about the legitimacy of an email, it’s better to err on the side of caution and report it1.
¶ Reporting Phishing Emails in Outlook
- Launch Outlook on your desktop or open a browser and sign into the web version of Outlook.
- Select the suspicious email without clicking any internal links.
- Click the dropdown arrow next to the Report button.
- From the dropdown menu, select Report phishing.
- Confirm your action by clicking the OK button when the verification message appears.
¶ What can I do to help protect myself from phishing attempts?
- Here is a great resource for identifying red flags.
- If there is a link in an email, hover over the URL first. Look closely at the URL to make sure it is legitimate (many links have slight misspellings or other things that you can catch)