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Have you ever received unsolicited emails trying to sell you something you have no interest in? These are commonly referred to as spam, and they've been around almost as long as the Internet itself. Spam can take various forms, including prayer chain forwards, coupons, adult content, donation solicitations, and unwanted newsletters. While they're annoying, spam is usually not intended to be malicious.
However, there's a more dangerous form of email called phishing. This type of email is designed by a malicious person to trick you into giving up your sensitive information like passwords or banking credentials. The email may appear to be from a legitimate sender, but it's actually fake. These emails can lead to identity theft or other forms of harm.
To spot a phishing email, look out for misspelled words, links that take you to different websites than they appear to, requests for personal information, forms within emails, and highly emotional or charged language. If you come across an email that fits these characteristics, be cautious and do not provide any sensitive information.
Instead, take the following steps to protect yourself from phishing:
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Verify the sender: If you receive an email from a sender you don't recognize, don't click on any links or download any attachments. Instead, try to verify the sender's identity through a separate communication channel.
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Check the URL: Before clicking on any links within an email, hover over them to see where they lead. If the link's destination is different from what the link text says, it's likely a phishing attempt.
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Don't give out personal information: Legitimate organizations won't ask you to provide personal information over email. If an email asks for this, it's likely a phishing attempt.
By following these steps, you can help protect yourself from phishing and other email-based attacks.
How to report SPAM
- Select the message you want to report
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Go to the Home tab and, in the Delete group, select the Junk drop-down arrow. If the message is open in a separate window, go to the Message tab and select the Junk drop-down arrow.
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Select Block Sender
- Click OK
How to report PHISHING
- Select the message you want to report
- Go to the Home tab and, in the top right corner, select the Phish Alert Report
- Select Phish Alert