Phishing scams, even if you’re not entirely familiar with what they are, you’ll probably know they need to be avoided at all costs.
Unlike the jolly people who sit beside a lake casting their rods for *googles fish names*… salmon, yes salmon? Phishers are scam artists who send emails under the pretence of being a trusted brand like your bank or Amazon, or someone else you regularly use online.
These ‘links’ encourage you to click and update your personal info such as your password or bank details, and usually because of some vital emergency, it needs to be done NOW.
What these links ACTUALLY do is take you through to a fake page (which looks a lot like the real deal unless you’re looking closely), but instead it’s the evil villains ready to pounce and steal your details for their own personal gains – boo, hiss!!
So now’s the time to step up as your own personal superhero and ensure this doesn’t happen to you or your staff.
How so?
Ok, we’re going to mention that buzzword again – PASSWORDS! Some people use the same password across multiple sites (even though we drone on a lot about why you shouldn’t), these evil phishing guys access multiple accounts using this same password. Keep them different and ensure they’re changed regularly.
Keep an eye out for the differences between fake emails and the real thing. Check the email address from which the email has been sent. You’ll usually be able to see the difference between a genuine email address and a phoney one if you look closely.
For example, a genuine email from Amazon will end in @amazon.co.uk and a fake might end in @emails.amazon.passwordchange.co.uk or something like that.
Double check!
Check who the email has been sent to. Phishing scams tend to send to lots of email addresses at the same time. Or the email addresses are all hidden, including your own. Sometimes, phishing emails are full of spelling mistakes and bad grammar too. That’s a dead giveaway.
If you’re ever even slightly unsure if an email is genuine then DO NOT click the link. We always recommend going directly to the company website and logging in there directly. Any communications from them will be on there too as a backup.
And as always, we’re on hand to double check and confirm any emails you’re worried about. Your IT providers with a superhero side hustle. Give us a bell here
