How to Avoid Phishing Scams

Phishing is a type of cyberattack that uses fraudulent emails, messages, or websites to trick you into revealing your personal or financial information, such as passwords, bank account details, credit card numbers, etc. Phishing can also infect your device with malware or ransomware. To avoid phishing scams, you should follow these steps:

• Check the sender’s email address and name. Phishing emails often use spoofed or fake email addresses and names that look similar to legitimate ones, such as support@paypa1.com instead of support@paypal.com. You should always check the sender’s email address and name carefully and look for any spelling or grammatical errors, unusual characters, or mismatched domains.
  
  
• Check the email’s content and tone. Phishing emails often use urgent, threatening, or enticing language to persuade you to take action, such as clicking on a link, opening an attachment, or providing your information. You should always be wary of emails that ask you to do something that seems unusual, unreasonable, or out of context. You should also look for any spelling or grammatical errors, inconsistent formatting, or low-quality images in the email’s content.
  
  
• Check the email’s links and attachments. Phishing emails often contain links or attachments that lead you to fake or compromised websites or download malware or ransomware to your device. You should never click on links or open attachments that you are not expecting or that look suspicious. You should also hover over the links to see their actual destination and avoid clicking on shortened URLs that hide their true destination.
  
  
• Verify the email’s authenticity. If you are not sure whether an email is legitimate or not, you should always verify its authenticity by contacting the sender directly using a different channel, such as phone, text, or another email address. You should never reply to the email or use the contact information provided in the email. You should also check the official website or social media accounts of the sender for any announcements or warnings about phishing scams.
  
  
• Report and delete the email. If you receive a phishing email, you should report it to your email provider, IT department, security team, or law enforcement as soon as possible. You should also delete the email from your inbox and trash folder and scan your device with your antivirus software.