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Phishing is a cybercrime designed to collect sensitive data. Don’t get hooked! Phishing attempts to access your accounts in order to commit financial fraud or identity theft.

But how do you stop phishers before you get reeled in? After all, most phishing messages are well designed with logos, verbiage, and links to the actual company’s website. Commonly, phishing emails or texts may look like they come from a trusted company, like a financial institution, credit card company, or payment app. Remember, these scammers work hard to appear legitimate, so take a minute to scrutinize the source.

Look for:

• Generic greetings or correspondence not addressed specifically to you
• Glaring typos, misuse of punctuation, or inaccurate grammar
• Content noticeably different from the typical messaging you’d expect
• Other common spoofing behaviors

Examples of phishing

The goal for most phishing emails or texts is to make you click on a link or download an attachment. You might see things like a fake invoice or requests to make a payment. Often, the messages ask you to confirm some personal information or claim to have noticed suspicious activity or login attempts. The phishing message may also attempt to scare you into action, telling you your account has been put on hold until you take action.

What happens if I open a phishing email?

If you do fall for a phishing email, immediately report it to anyone who might be impacted, such as an employer. Change any passwords that may have been compromised. To help fight fraudsters, forward the offending email to reportphishing@apwg.org, which is an organization that tracks known cybercriminals. You can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission. If it’s a phishing text, copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM).

How to protect yourself from a phishing scam

• Keep your smartphone operating system up to date
• Use multi-factor authentication — like a passcode or text
• Make sure your computer is consistently updated and secure

When in doubt, ask for help. This includes calling a trusted company you may suspect is being imitated by a fraudster. If you suspect a phishing attempt connected to your Numerica account, don’t give out any information. Instead, call us right away at 800.433.1837. We can help you verify the authenticity of any messages and take any necessary precautions.