As the world continues to become more digital and connected, you are bound to complete even more of your daily personal and professional tasks online. While this can help make everyone more connected and efficient, it comes with various risks. One risk that all people face today is phishing, which is an attack in which someone attempts to steal your personal information, bank account data, and even your money directly. While phishing continues to be a real risk that has become more complex, there are tips you can follow that can help you protect yourself.
How To Identify a Phishing Email
One of the first things you should do to help prevent phishing is to learn how to recognize a phishing email. Phishing is an attempt for you to share personal information, passwords, or entice you to access a cybercriminals phishing website. This can be done through emails, social media, and even text messages.
Generally, a phishing attempt will try and get you to click on a link or provide information by showing a sense of urgency that requires you to act quickly. Phishing emails also frequently will come from recognizable email addresses, but one that is off a few characters from an official email domain. Further, you will typically notice that a phishing email is somewhat generic and could be poorly written with bad grammar.
What To Do if You Suspect Phishing
If you are concerned about a message containing a phishing attempt, there are tips and steps you can follow. If you do receive one of these messages, the most important tip to follow is to avoid engaging with the sender. This should include not clicking on any links or replying to the email.
Report the Email
If you have received a phishing email, you likely were not the only recipient, and ensuring that other people are not a victim is important. Depending on the email service you use, there could be an easy button that is pressed on the email that will help you report the message. You should check with the email provider for the right process for reporting these messages. Once it has been reported, you should delete the message from your inbox.
Phishing continues to be a real risk and threat that all people need to take seriously. If you are a victim of phishing, it could result in the loss of personal information, bank account information, or even money. You can learn how to identify phishing scams and prevent yourself from being a victim by following these tips.