Go Phish

Phishing Email Identifiers

Any email that requests you to visit a web site, or requests personal information could be a possible fraudulent phishing email.

Here are some items you should consider as possible indicators that an email is fraudulent:

• Were you expecting the email? If it is unexpected, verify the email before taking any action.
• Never trust a link in an email. Scammers send fraudulent email with links that appear valid, but link to fraudulent sites as in this example:
  
• 
  Any email that has a form requesting personal information and a submit button should be considered fraudulent.
• There is no alternative means of contacting the organization other than links, e.g., phone, or address.
• The FROM address does not appear to originate from the organization.
• The TO address does not clearly list your email address.
• The email is not addressed to you personally, by name.
• There is no indication in the email that the sender knows your account number by displaying the last 4 digits.
• Grammar errors from fortune 500 companies are red flags.
• Verify phone numbers. Fraudulent numbers that reach con artists posing as bank personnel are common.
• Phishing email often conveys a sense of urgency. For example: "Your account will be closed unless you respond within 48 hours".
• Phishing email may use enticement: "You have won the lottery!", or, "My family needs your help to transfer ten million dollars into a US bank."
• Regard any attachment with suspicion. As a general rule, never open attachments that end with ".exe". Other attachments such as ".rtf",
  
  even ".pdf" can contain malicious software. Do not open these attachments unless you expect or have verified the attachment with the sender. Attachments that end with ".zip" are often used to conceal fraudulent malware. Opening a zip is normally safe. Opening the contents of a fraudulent zip is not safe.

For more information, visit the Federal Trade Commission website: www.ftc.gov