What to do if you get a suspicious email
Do not open any attachments or click any links. Confirm the email and any links or attachments came from the sender through other means of communications, such as a phone call, text, or Zoom and Skype chats.
If you can’t verify the message with the sender, delete the email and call IT Support 4U at 360-407-2244. Once you report a suspicious email, scroll to the bottom to see what to expect.
If you clicked a link or opened or downloaded an attachment from a suspicious email, call IT Support 4U at 360-407-2244 as soon as possible with the following information:
- What email address it was from
- Where the link took you or what happened when you opened the attachment
- What time you opened the attachment or clicked the link
How to use email until further notice
- Send email and attachments as you would for normal business purposes. Make sure to verify with recipients that you sent the email and attachments using another means of communication, like a phone call, text, or Zoom and Skype chats.
- Use Distribution Lists
What you can't do:
- Send any email or attachments regarding this security incident or elude to a security concern in any way.
This article will be updated when more information is available.
How to spot a malicious email
Look at the email address, not just the sender
A suspicious or malicious email may come from a public email domain such as @Hotmail.com, @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @vacationhotels.com.
Don’t click or download suspicious attachments and links
If an email seems suspicious, don’t click on anything. An attachment or link can infect your device if you open or download it.
The attachment may be disguised as something familiar, like an invoice, report, or purchase order.
You can spot a suspicious link if the destination address doesn’t match the context of the rest of the email. On a computer, hover your mouse over the link so the destination address appears in a small bar along the bottom of the browser.
The message creates a sense of urgency
Many scams request that you act now or else it will be too late, such as This Invoice needs to be paid now. The manufactured sense of urgency is equally effective in workplace scams. Be cautious—the longer you think about something, the more likely you are to notice things that don’t seem right.
Verify the sender through another means of communication
Even if you think an email is legitimate, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Call, text, or message the sender using Zoom or Skype to confirm they sent you the message you received from them.
What to expect if you report a suspicious email
Thank you for reporting it! IT Support 4U will direct you on what to do depending on the type of email, attachment or link you received. Here are some things they may do:
- Ask you to shut down your computer
- Log into your computer
- Scan your computer to see what, if anything, the attachment or link did
- Contact you for more information