As the holidays approach we are seeing an escalation of phishing attempts. Criminals are very clever as they try to gain access to your bank accounts, etc. Things to be aware of:
- Check the link before clicking it!
Most phishing messages contain a link in the message. Do not click any link in an email unless you are certain it is a valid link. If you are still not sure whether the message is a phishing attempt, open the message on a desktop computer and hover your cursor over the link without clicking it. This should display the actual address that the link would take you. If the link looks suspicious or does not match what you expect, do not click the link. Be wary of opening attached files.
Some phishing messages contain an attachment. Do not open any attachment unless you are certain the email is legitimate. In addition to identity theft attempts, attachments may contain malicious code that could infect your system.