What is Spam and Phishing?

Spam refers to the indiscriminate sending of unsolicited, often irrelevant or inappropriate electronic messages, typically via email but also through other communication channels like instant messaging, social media, or text messages. The primary purpose of spam is to promote products, services, or content to a wide audience. These messages can include advertisements for products, offers for fake goods, or links to potentially harmful websites. Spam can be annoying and time-consuming, as it can clutter your inbox and waste your time filtering through unwanted messages.

Phishing is a more sinister form of online threat that aims to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials, financial details, or personal information. Phishing attacks typically involve impersonating a trusted entity, like a bank, government agency, or reputable company, in order to trick the recipient into believing the communication is legitimate. Common phishing tactics include sending fake emails or messages that contain links to fraudulent websites that mimic the appearance of trusted sites. These websites often prompt users to enter their confidential information, which is then stolen by the attackers. Phishing attacks can also involve social engineering techniques, such as using emotional manipulation or creating a sense of urgency to increase the likelihood of success.

Phishing emails will often try to get you to click on links that take you to fake websites. They often pretend to be from organizations such as a bank, PayPal, Amazon, or even AlfredState.

Never respond to email asking you to provide personal information without verifying the authenticity. 
 

Verifying the legitimacy of an email is crucial to protect yourself from phishing and other email-related scams. Here are some ways to verify an email's legitimacy:

Check the sender's email address:

Examine the sender's email address carefully. Look for any misspellings, unusual characters, or domain names that seem suspicious or unfamiliar. Legitimate organizations usually use official domain names in their email addresses.

Verify the sender's identity:

Confirm that the sender's name and contact information match what you would expect from the organization. Be cautious if the email claims to be from a reputable company but uses generic greetings like "Dear Customer" instead of your name.

Look for spelling and grammar errors:

Poorly written emails with spelling and grammar mistakes are often indicators of phishing attempts. Legitimate organizations usually have professional communication standards.

Check the email's content:

Be cautious if the email contains urgent or overly dramatic language designed to pressure you into taking immediate action. Phishing emails often use fear or urgency to manipulate recipients.

Hover over links:

Hover your mouse pointer over any links in the email without clicking on them. This will reveal the actual URL the link points to. Ensure that the URL matches the legitimate website of the organization. Be wary of URLs that use misspelled domain names or unfamiliar domains.

Avoid downloading attachments:

Be cautious about downloading attachments from unknown or suspicious sources, as they may contain malware. If you're unsure about an attachment's legitimacy, contact the sender through a different, trusted channel to verify its authenticity.