Scam Emails – How to Protect Yourself
The goal of many phishing scams is to get sensitive information and credentials. Be careful of any email message that asks for sensitive data or asks you to prove your identity.
Scammers try to imitate familiar companies and use logos, designs and wording you are already familiar with. Stay vigilant and don’t click a link or open an attachment unless you are certain the message is legitimate.
Here are some tips for recognizing a phishing scam email:
- Pay attention to the salutation. If the email is addressed to “Valued Customer” instead of to you specifically be wary. It could be fraudulent.
- Urgent threats or demands to reply (for example: “Open immediately”, “Your account will be suspended” or “Update now!”).
- Poor spelling and grammar (often due to awkward foreign translations).
- Check the sender’s email address before opening a message—the display name might be a fake.
- Suspicious links or attachments.
- Hover over links to see the web address it will take you to. If it contains a lot of gibberish or does not match the web address it purports to be don’t click on it.
If the message claims to come from Nexicom call us to verify using the phone number you normally use or look it up on our website. (Never use a phone number from the email unless you verify it.)
Nexicom would never ask for your credentials (passwords, etc) in an email. Always be suspicious of emails asking for personal information or to ‘verify’ information.
Phishing attacks come from scammers disguised as trustworthy sources and can facilitate access to all types of sensitive data. As technology changes so do cyberattacks. Try to stay up-to-date on the most current ploys be reading articles on “phishing”.