Dangerous E-mails

It is wise to be on the lookout for deceptive e-mails, electronic messages sent to government addresses which try to lure the recipient into sharing sensitive personal or government data or into following a link or opening an attachment which will unleash a virus that can infect the user’s computer system.

These e-mails can seem benign and even friendly, with subject lines like “Happy Holidays!” or originating addresses that include familiar names like eBay, Hallmark, or the “Webmail Support Team”. As a rule, always be suspicious of e-mails that request personal or government-related information or username/password data. In addition, be very cautious following links to unfamiliar websites or opening attachments in e-mails from unfamiliar addresses.

If you receive an e-mail you don’t expect from a familiar source such as a bank or credit card company, don’t click on any links in the e-mail. Log in to the source’s website by typing in the web address or contact the source using a familiar phone number or e-mail to verify their request.

Date this Avoiding Pitfall was most recently published: 10/09/2020