There’s Something Phishy About This Email!

I’m sure you have all received an email with an urgent matter that needs to be settled today or you could lose money FAST!!! Yes, those emails should raise some serious red flags in your mind; because the sender is hoping to catch someone in a desparate situation and take advantage of them. 

These emails are known as Phishing scams, and they are not limited to emails. They occur on low-tech platforms in the form of phone calls, and they come in higher tech forms like games, social media and webpage ads, emails and texts. Here’s what you need to know about them:

How do phishing attacks work?

Phishing attacks work by presenting some sort of bait to a consumer in the hopes of scamming them for money or information. In emails, they tend to present an urgent situation where if not acted upon immediately will exact some level of harm or inconvenience. Check out this example:

Notice how the email presents an urgent situation – an important delivery was missed. The bait is presented in the form of a link – click this link to confirm delivery notice. HOWEVER, the link is fake!!! The link NOT will direct me to the UPS as suggested, but it will take me to an alternate Vietnam-based website in this example.

How can I protect myself?

You need to take the following steps to protect yourself (we’ll start with the obvious):

  1. Keep Windows updated with the latest security updates.
  2. Install an active malware protection suite on all your smart devices – YES, even your Apple devices. Contrary to popular lore, Apple devices can get viruses and malware.
  3. Be alert and learn to identify the bait! The bait can come in various forms, and these scammers are getting really clever! Sometimes, they will even deliver on the content or offer they presented, but in the process they obtained an important login credential or installed some bit of malware encoded in the delivery process. Remember: anything that looks too good to be true probably is, especially on the Internet.
  4. Don’t give out any important information over the phone, by email or text. 
  5. Don’t open attachments you haven’t personally requested. Even then, it’s not the best idea. It’s easy to share files from cloud accounts like OneDrive, Dropbox, DattoDrive and the like; and that’s safer than using attachments.

Note: Neither Microsoft nor Apple will call you and request control of your computer! That is a popular phishing scam.

Yield not to temptation!

Those ads can be so tempting, right? No, I’m not referring to girly ads, though they would apply. You know…those ads that offer you the latest unclassified intel on JFK’s murder, or behind-the-scenes Woodstock photos never before seen, or Marilyn Monroe secrets revealed (how old does FB think I am?!!!). It’s not worth the risk! Don’t click on those ads. At best, they will disappoint. At worst, you just got baited and hooked!

But you don’t understand, this could be REAL!!!

OK, so yesterday you didn’t buy local like you were supposed to and ordered something off of Amazon. Today, you get an email from Amazon (supposedly) stating your recent order didn’t process properly, and you are going to miss out on that new pair of boots without which you absolutely cannot live! 

Yes, I realize the importance – here’s what you DON’T DO: for the love of all that is good, DO NOT click on any links in that email! Instead, open a new browser session and navigate to Amazon’s website directly.  From there, you can look at your order history. That’s the safest way to know for sure you are not taking the bait.

Report scams!

Microsoft has provided these excellent options for reporting scams (a direct link to all this information is provided below):

How to report a scam

You can use Microsoft tools to report a suspected scam.

  • Outlook.Live.com – If you receive a suspicious email message that asks for personal information, click the check box next to the message in your Outlook inbox. Click the arrow next to Security Options and then choose Phishing.
  • Microsoft Office Outlook – If you have a business email account and need next-level Anti-Phishing protection, contact TCS on how we can provide the best protection. We can also perform security awareness training drills that will help you score your employee security awareness levels with recommended training for those who need it.

You can also download the Microsoft Junk E-mail Reporting Add-in for Microsoft Office Outlook.

How to report tech support scams

Whenever you receive a phone call or see a pop-up window on your PC and feel uncertain whether it is from someone at Microsoft, don’t take the risk. Reach out directly to one of our technical support experts dedicated to helping you at Total Computer Solutions.

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