Scams are everywhere, and it\u2019s up to you and your team to identify them before you accidentally expose your business to something truly sinister. However, it\u2019s often easier said than done, and scammers have gotten craftier in recent years. Today, we want to discuss three of the dead giveaways that you\u2019re looking at a phishing scam, as well as how to address it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While unknown senders aren\u2019t necessarily a throwaway sign of a phishing attack, they are cause for you to stop and consider the context surrounding the message.<\/p>\n
In business, you might get inquiries from people who want to buy your products or services. We\u2019re not talking about them; we\u2019re talking about random strangers on the Internet who are trying to convince you to take action (more on that later). Oftentimes, these individuals might have an email name with an email address that simply doesn\u2019t make sense. Think about it; you, as a person, wouldn\u2019t choose a Gmail address that is a string of random characters. None of your colleagues, coworkers, clients, or vendors would either.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s always worth verifying the sender\u2019s identity by checking their email address, as well as considering any alternative contact information, to make sure who you\u2019re dealing with is who they claim to be. In a business world where phishing and whaling schemes are running rampant, it pays to be a little too careful.<\/p>\n
Phishing messages want you to take action now, not later.<\/p>\n
This is why you\u2019ll frequently see urgent language in their messaging. They want you to pay an invoice, fill out a form, verify your identity, or any of the other countless excuses one can think of to get you to take action. Phishing scammers might even try to bully or threaten you into taking action, particularly if they are under the guise of law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Simply put, don\u2019t do what they want you to do unless you\u2019ve had IT verify the status of the message.<\/p>\n
You receive an email asking you to click to verify your identity, or you receive an invoice for an Amazon order you don\u2019t remember placing. What do you do?<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t go clicking on any old link you get in an email, and you should absolutely<\/em> not download any attachment you receive. These are scammers\u2019 favorite ways to spread threats, as they are braindead-easy for anyone to click on. When in doubt, you can hover your mouse over any suspicious-looking links to check where they actually go, and if they don\u2019t go where they claim to, that\u2019s a major red flag. As for attachments, you can have your IT department scan them to see if they are safe or not.<\/p>\n Coleman Technologies can help your business raise internal awareness of phishing and scamming practices so your employees will be less likely to fall for them in the future. Learn more by calling us today at (604) 513-9428.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Scams are everywhere, and it\u2019s up to you and your team to identify them before you accidentally expose your business to something truly sinister. However, it\u2019s often easier said than done, and scammers have gotten craftier in recent years. 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