3 Essential Tips to Avoid Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are deceptive online messages that look like communications from a trusted source. You may open what appears to be a safe email, attachment or image only to expose yourself to malware or a scammer looking for our personal data. The good news is you can take precautions to protect yourself. It’s important to recognize red flags and report phishing to prevent becoming a victim.

Recognize the common signs

• Urgent or emotionally-charged language
• Requests for personal or financial information
• Unexpected attachments
• Suspicious shortened URLs
• Mismatched email addresses
• Poor writing/misspellings (less common)

Pro Tip: Hover over links without clicking to reveal the true URL destination.

Resist the urge and report

Report suspicious messages by using the “report spam” feature. If the message is designed to resemble an organization you trust, report the message by alerting the organization using their contact information on their webpage.
Pro Tip: Remember, legitimate companies will never ask for sensitive information via email.

Delete and move on

Delete the message. Don’t reply or click attachments or links, including any “unsubscribe” links.
Pro Tip: Be cautious—scammers sometimes use "unsubscribe" links as another way to phish for information or confirm active email addresses.

If a message looks suspicious, it’s probably phishing.

Even if there’s a possibility the email could be legitimate, don’t click any link or attachment, and don’t call any numbers listed in the message. Find another way to contact the company or person directly:

• Go to a company’s official website to find their contact information.
• Call the individual at a known number and confirm whether they sent the message.

Spread the word and stay informed

Cybersecurity is a community effort. Share these tips with a family member or friend to help everyone stay safe online.
You can also visit our Fraud & Security Center to learn more about keeping your data safe.