You may sometimes get messages that are suspicious, either by their contents or because of an unusual sender. If you suspect the email may be spam, check the following guidelines to keep safe:
- Suspicious Address
- Check the sender's email. Do you know them?
- Spam emails are usually sent from addresses with unusual names, such as TerriO@cctexas.com.
- Urgent Subject
- Spam emails try to get you to act quickly, usually by including words like 'URGENT', 'DEACTIVATE', or 'INVOICE'.
- Make sure you take the time to check the email properly before clicking any links, and don't panic if the email appears urgent.
- Request for Information
- If the email is asking for information (such as passwords, personal information, or bank details), or it is asking you to make a payment, be sure to check the email, and ask colleagues if they are aware of any related emails.
- If other colleagues got identical emails, or if no one has any knowledge of why the email was sent, then the email may be spam, and you should not click any links or give out any information until you are certain it's safe.
- Downloading Documents
- Some spam emails may ask you to download a Word document, saying it's an invoice. While this may seem safe, many email have come in with an image of an attachment, which when clicked on brings you to a new site.
- The attachment may look like this:
- While this may seem real, this is actually a picture, and not a real document. To test if a document is real, drag it around using your mouse.
- If a ghost image appears under your cursor while moving, the document is not real, and the email is most likely spam.
- If text appears under your mouse, or if nothing appears at all, then the document is real, although you should still make sure the email is not spam before downloading or opening any documents.
REMEMBER:
If you aren't sure if an email is spam or not, forward it to the IT Helpdesk at helpdesk@fermanaghomagh.com.
http://intranet.fermanaghomagh.com/2017/01/checking-if-a-link-is-safe-to-click/