Here’s How to Deal With Phishing Emails

Reports show that phishing attacks are on the rise. Are you ready to protect yourself and your organization from these sophisticated attacks? In this post, we show you everything you need to know about how to deal with phishing emails.

What Is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of scam where cybercriminals contact you (usually by email but also through text messages) and pose as a reputable institution to trick you into giving them your personal information.

Scammers usually impersonate banks in their messages, but they are also known to pose as government agencies, including the IRS.

Cybercriminals are very cunning and resort to all kinds of stratagems to appear more believable. They are able to replicate accurately the graphics of the institutions they impersonate and may go as far as to purchase similar internet domains.

How to Identify a Phishing Email or Text Message?

While scammers are crafty, there are ways to stay ahead of the curve. These are some of the red flags you should look out for:

• The mention of supposedly unusual log-in attempts
• Claims that there’s a problem with your account or payment information
• They ask you to confirm some personal information
• They include a fake invoice
• Instructions to click on a link to make a payment
• Offers of coupons for free stuff

What To Do if You Receive a Phishing Email or Text Message?

If you receive a phishing email or text message, the first step is not to interact with it. Don’t reply, don’t click on any links, and don’t download or open any attached files.

The next thing to do is to bring the phishing attempt to the attention of the authorities. You can report any phishing attack to the Federal Trade Commission. If the phishing attempt is related to taxes or the IRS, you can report it to phishing@irs.gov.

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