At Collinwood, the safety of our residents is a priority, but not all threats are physical. Cyber-threats can be financially devastating, and they're not always easy to spot. Phishing email is one common type of threat that you might experience if you have an email address and spend much time online. Learning to identify and avoid internet scams can help you protect yourself.

What Is a Phishing Email?

Phishing is a type of online scam used to get your personal information, which can then be used to access your existing accounts or open new accounts using your information. Phishing often happens through emails that look like they're from a legitimate source, such as your bank or a major online retailer like Amazon.

The email typically asks you to click a link, forward the message or open an attachment. Those actions can give the scammer access to your information. For example, an attachment could have malware in it that records your keystrokes to steal passwords or gives someone remote access to your computer. Links included in emails, which often look like they lead to legitimate company websites, could also install malware on your device.

Signs of a Phishing Email

Phishing scams are often difficult to spot, which is why they're so successful. Scammers go to great lengths to make the email addresses, company logos and links look like they're from the company they're pretending to be. For that reason, you should be suspicious of any email you receive and avoid clicking links or opening attachments unless you expected to receive them.

Here are some things to look for to spot a phishing email:

• Claims that you've won a sweepstakes or contest you didn't enter
• Emails asking you to forward them to other people
• Messages coming from companies where you don't have an account
• Anything that sounds too good to be true
• Pleas for help, which could come from an email address that looks similar to someone you know
• Lots of typos or poor grammar
• General greetings that don't have your name in them
• Link to change your password when you haven't submitted a request
• Asking you to confirm your personal information
  
  
• Attachments that you don't expect to receive
• Discrepancies in email addresses, such as a zero in place of an O in a company name or a dash that's not in the company's name
• Links that don't lead to the company's official website
• Sense of urgency or pressure to act fast
• Asking for money or payments you know you don't owe
• Anything that seems unusual for the company

Phishing scams are highly sophisticated, so the clues that it's a scam can be difficult to spot.

What to Do If You Receive One

If you know the email you received is a phishing email, don't click any links or open any attachments. Don't respond to or forward the email to other people you know. Don't take any action on it, especially the action the email asks you to take.

If you're not sure, inspect the email closely to look for the signs of a phishing scam. Contact the person or company who supposedly sent the email to see if it's legitimate. Most companies don't send emails to verify personal information or send payments, especially if you're not expecting those requests. Instead of clicking the link from a company, contact their customer support number to see if you need to verify information, change your password or take other actions that are requested in the email.

You can report the phishing email to the Anti-Phishing Working Group by forwarding it to reportphishing@apwg.org. You can also report fraud to the FTC online. If the email looks like it came from a legitimate company, try contacting them so they're aware that someone is using their brand to scam people.

What to Do If You're a Victim of a Phishing Scam

The impact of falling victim to a phishing scam depends on the type of scam and how much information was compromised. Here are some steps you can take if you fall for a phishing scam:

• Change your passwords: Start with the account you know was compromised, but continue to change all passwords, especially other accounts that use the same password. Changing your passwords frequently and using complicated passwords can reduce the chances of having your accounts compromised.
• Back up information: If you have important information saved on your device, back it up on an external hard drive or flash drive. This gives you a copy if your device is compromised by scammers.
• Run a scan: Run your virus and malware scanners on your computer to check for issues. Keep your antivirus software up-to-date for protection.
• File a fraud alert: You can contact Equifax, TransUnion and Experian, the three major credit bureaus, if you know you fell for a phishing attack. This can stop a new account from being opened in your name.
• Contact account holders: You can also alert your bank, loan holders, credit card companies and other companies where you have accounts. They can freeze your accounts or monitor them for suspicious activities.

Being suspicious of an email you're not expecting can help protect your personal information and finances.