What to Do If You Suspect a Phishing Email: 7 Immediate Action Steps to Protect Yourself Online
Are you an avid email user concerned about falling victim to phishing scams? You’re not alone. I nearly did today by opening an attachment I knew I shouldn’t open out of curiosity. Now I feel just plain dumb.
Phishing attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it crucial to know how to react swiftly if you suspect you’ve received one. I regretfully have personally encountered numerous phishing emails over the past year, with a significant uptick of 15–20 within the past two months alone. Even if you don’t believe you have received an unsettling phishing email, please take a quick once-over to refresh yourself and be prepared for the new threats to your personal information, identity, and passwords.
Phishing emails are crafted to trick and deceive, wanting the hopefully unaware recipients to continue trusting their digital disguises and divulging sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or personal details. They sit in their comfortable dusty cubicles or public libraries even, making a living out of our misery. Most often impersonating reputable companies like PayPal, Apple, or financial institutions, using fake sender names like “PayPal Support” or “Apple Support” to appear legitimate.
