What to do if you Recieve a Suspicious Link

Do Not Click or Interact:

If an email appears suspicious, avoid clicking any links, downloading attachments, replying to the sender, or providing personal information. Even if the message appears to come from a trusted organization, interacting with malicious content could expose your device to malware or direct you to a fraudulent website designed to steal login credentials.

Verify the Sender Independently:

If an email claims to be from a legitimate company, coworker, or financial institution, confirm its authenticity through a separate, trusted communication channel. Contact the organization using its official website, verified phone number, or a previously established email address. Never rely solely on contact information provided within the suspicious message, as attackers can impersonate legitimate senders.

Examine Links and Email Details:

Before interacting with an unexpected message, carefully inspect the sender's complete email address and any hyperlinks. On a computer, hovering over a link can reveal its destination without opening it. Watch for misspelled domains, unfamiliar website addresses, unexpected attachments, and requests for sensitive information. Remember that attackers can create convincing copies of legitimate websites, so professional appearance alone does not guarantee safety.

Report Suspicious Activity

Report suspected phishing emails to your organization's IT department or cybersecurity team using the approved reporting procedure. Many email services, including Microsoft Outlook and Gmail, offer built-in phishing reporting features. Reporting these messages allows security teams to investigate threats, warn other employees, and potentially block malicious senders or websites before additional accounts are compromised.

Remove the Email Safely

After reporting the suspicious message, follow your organization's instructions for deleting or quarantining it. If no further investigation is required, remove it from your inbox to prevent accidental interaction later. Avoid forwarding suspicious emails to coworkers, since doing so could unintentionally expose others to the same threat.

Key Takeaways: When in doubt, do not interact with the message. Independently verify its authenticity and report anything suspicious before taking further action.