Phishing Awareness

What Is Phishing?

Phishing is a scam technique in which an attacker pretends to be a trusted person or organization and tries to make you reveal information, click a malicious link, open an attachment or send money.

Common Warning Signs

• Urgent threats such as “act now or your account will close”.
• Unexpected requests for passwords, codes or payment details.
• Links whose destination does not match the claimed organization.
• Unusual spelling, grammar or formatting.
• Unexpected attachments.
• Requests to bypass normal security procedures.

Slow down when a message creates urgency and verify the sender through another channel.

Check the Link Safely

1. Do not click immediately.
2. Inspect the displayed link destination when possible.
3. Instead of using the message link, open the organization's official website yourself.
4. Use a trusted phone number or official contact method to verify an unusual request.

Never Share Verification Codes

One-time codes and authentication prompts can be valuable to attackers. If someone unexpectedly asks you to read a code to them, stop and verify the request. A legitimate support person should not need you to hand over a secret authentication code through an unsolicited message.

What to Do With a Suspicious Message

1. Do not click links or attachments.
2. Do not reply with personal information.
3. Verify independently if the message might be legitimate.
4. Use your mail provider's phishing-report function when available.
5. Delete the message after reporting when appropriate.

Phishing Can Happen Anywhere

Phishing is not limited to email. It can appear in text messages, social media, collaboration tools, gaming chats and phone calls. The same principle applies: pause, verify and avoid giving secrets to an unverified requester.

Practical Activity

1. Take a harmless example message.
2. Underline any urgency, unusual sender information or suspicious link.
3. Write how you would verify it without using the message's contact details.
4. List what information you would never send through an unsolicited message.

Quick Self-Check

1. What is phishing?
2. Why is urgency a warning sign?
3. How can you verify a suspicious bank message?
4. Should you share a one-time authentication code with an unsolicited caller?

Key Takeaway