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Submitted URL: https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification
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Submission: On December 02 via manual from US — Scanned from US
Effective URL: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/protect-yourself-from-phishing-0c7ea947-ba98-3bd9-7184-430e1f860a44
Submission: On December 02 via manual from US — Scanned from US
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PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PHISHING
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Phishing (pronounced: fishing) is an attack that attempts to steal your money,
or your identity, by getting you to reveal personal information -- such as
credit card numbers, bank information, or passwords -- on websites that pretend
to be legitimate. Cybercriminals typically pretend to be reputable companies,
friends, or acquaintances in a fake message, which contains a link to a phishing
website.
Select the headings below for more information
LEARN TO SPOT A PHISHING MESSAGE
Phishing is a popular form of cybercrime because of how effective it is.
Cybercriminals have been successful using emails, text messages, and direct
messages on social media or in video games, to get people to respond with their
personal information. The best defense is awareness and knowing what to look
for.
Here are some ways to recognize a phishing email:
* Urgent call to action or threats - Be suspicious of emails and Teams
messages that claim you must click, call, or open an attachment immediately.
Often, they'll claim you have to act now to claim a reward or avoid a
penalty. Creating a false sense of urgency is a common trick of phishing
attacks and scams. They do that so that you won't think about it too much or
consult with a trusted advisor who may warn you.
Tip: Whenever you see a message calling for immediate action take a moment,
pause, and look carefully at the message. Are you sure it's real? Slow down
and be safe.
* First time, infrequent senders, or senders marked [External] - While it's not
unusual to receive an email or Teams message from someone for the first time,
especially if they are outside your organization, this can be a sign
of phishing. Slow down and take extra care at these times. When you get an
email or a Teams message from somebody you don't recognize, or that Outlook
or Teams identifies as a new sender, take a moment to examine it extra
carefully using some of the measures below.
* Spelling and bad grammar - Professional companies and organizations usually
have an editorial and writing staff to make sure customers get high-quality,
professional content. If an email message has obvious spelling or
grammatical errors, it might be a scam. These errors are sometimes the result
of awkward translation from a foreign language, and sometimes they're
deliberate in an attempt to evade filters that try to block these attacks.
* Generic greetings - An organization that works with you should know your name
and these days it's easy to personalize an email. If the email starts with a
generic "Dear sir or madam" that's a warning sign that it might not really be
your bank or shopping site.
* Mismatched email domains - If the email claims to be from a reputable
company, like Microsoft or your bank, but the email is being sent from
another email domain like Gmail.com, or microsoftsupport.ru it's probably a
scam. Also be watchful for very subtle misspellings of the legitimate domain
name. Like micros0ft.com where the second "o" has been replaced by a 0, or
rnicrosoft.com, where the "m" has been replaced by an "r" and a "n". These
are common tricks of scammers.
* Suspicious links or unexpected attachments - If you suspect that an email
message, or a message in Teams is a scam, don't open any links or attachments
that you see. Instead, hover your mouse over, but don't click the link. Look
at the address that pops up when you hover over the link. Ask yourself if
that address matches the link that was typed in the message. In the following
example, resting the mouse over the link reveals the real web address in the
box with the yellow background. The string of numbers looks nothing like the
company's web address.
Tip: On Android long-press the link to get a properties page that will reveal
the true destination of the link. On iOS do what Apple calls a "Light,
long-press".
Cybercriminals can also tempt you to visit fake websites with other methods,
such as text messages or phone calls. If you're feeling threatened or being
pressured, it may be time to hang up, find the phone number of the establishment
and call back when your head is clear. Sophisticated cybercriminals set up call
centers to automatically dial or text numbers for potential targets. These
messages will often include prompts to get you to enter a PIN number or some
other type of personal information.
For more information see How to spot a "fake order" scam.
Are you an administrator or IT pro?
If so, you should be aware that phishing attempts may be targeting your Teams
users. Take action. Learn more about what to do about it here.
If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription with Advanced Threat Protection you can
enable ATP Anti-phishing to help protect your users. Learn more
IF YOU GET A PHISHING EMAIL OR MESSAGE IN TEAMS
* Never click any links or attachments in suspicious emails or Teams messages.
If you receive a suspicious message from an organization and worry the
message could be legitimate, go to your web browser and open a new tab. Then
go to the organization's website from your own saved favorite, or via a web
search. Talk to them using official numbers or emails from their site. Call
the organization using a phone number listed on the back of a membership
card, printed on a bill or statement, or that you find on the organization's
official website.
* If the suspicious message appears to come from a person you know, contact
that person via another means like by text message or a phone call to confirm
it.
* Report the message (see below).
* Delete it.
HOW TO REPORT A PHISHING SCAM
* Microsoft 365 Outlook - With the suspicious message selected, choose Report
message from the ribbon, and then select Phishing. This is the fastest way to
report it and remove the message from your Inbox, and it will help us improve
our filters so that you see fewer of these messages in the future. For more
information see Use the Report Message add-in.
* Outlook.com - Select the check box next to the suspicious message in your
Outlook.com inbox. Select the arrow next to Junk, and then select Phishing.
* Teams messages - If you're in Microsoft Teams, hover over the malicious
message withoutselecting it, and then select More options > More
actions > Report this message. When asked to 'Report this message' choose the
option Security risk - Spam, phishing, malicious content is selected, and
then select Report. Click the Report button.
If you are seeing signs of a scam, and are suspicious of a message, you,
everyone else exposed to it, are better safe than sorry! Report it.
Note: If you're using an email client other than Outlook, start a new email
to phish@office365.microsoft.com and include the phishing email as an
attachment. Please don't forward the suspicious email; we need to receive it as
an attachment so we can examine the headers on the message.
If you’re on a suspicious website:
While you’re on a suspicious site in Microsoft Edge, select the Settings
and More (…) icon towards the top right corner of the window, then Help and
feedback > Report unsafe site. Or click here.
Tip: ALT+F will open the Settings and More menu.
For more information see Securely browse the web in Microsoft Edge.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOU'VE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY PHISHED
If you're suspicious that you may have inadvertently fallen for a phishing
attack there are a few things you should do.
1. While it's fresh in your mind write down as many details of the attack as
you can recall. In particular try to note any information such as usernames,
account numbers, or passwords you may have shared, and where the attack
happened such as in Teams, or Outlook.
2. Immediately change the passwords on all affected accounts, and anywhere else
that you might use the same password. While you're changing passwords you
should create unique passwords for each account, and you might want to
see Create and use strong passwords.
3. Confirm that you have multifactor authentication (also known as two-step
verification) turned on for every account you can. See What is: Multifactor
authentication
4. If this attack affects your work or school accounts, you should notify the
IT support folks at your work or school of the possible attack. If you
shared information about your credit cards or bank accounts, you may want to
contact those companies as well to alert them to possible fraud.
5. If you've lost money, or been the victim of identity theft, don't hesitate,
report it to local law enforcement. The details in step 1 will be very
helpful to them.
SEE ALSO
The keys to the kingdom - securing your devices and accounts
How malware can infect your computer
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