Is This Spam? How to tell if an email you received is a spam/ email

Spam are a daily occurrence in our digital world, but how can we tell when an email is spam or fraudulent? This document will explain the basic characteristics to look for when trying to identify a suspect email message. What to look for to decide if an email is fraudulent or suspicious 1. Is the e- from someone you know? Are you expecting an e-mail from this sender? Your first clue to whether or not an e-mail is legitimate is who sent the email to you. It is easy for a spammer to manipulate the sending e-mail address, so they can choose to send from a fake or impersonate an organizations domain such as @amazon.com. They do this to make you think the email is coming from a legitimate source. Check who sent you the e-mail, and ask yourself if you know this sender, and if this is an e-mail you were expecting to receive from them. If you didn’t order something off of amazon.com but get an email about an issue with your order, the email is likely spam. YCCC’s IT staff will only send emails from the following addresses: . [email protected] . [email protected] . [email protected] . [email protected] or [email protected] . [email protected] or [email protected] . [email protected] or [email protected]

2. What is the e-mail’s purpose? Always question an unsolicited e-mail that wants you to download or install something, or follow a link in the email. Links can direct you to fraudulent websites, software, or worse. Simply looking at a web page can compromise your computer and personal information. YCCC’s IT staff will never ask you for personal information via an e-mail (this does not include student ID numbers). If there is an issue with your account that requires validating sensitive information we will reach out by phone or in-person meeting.

*See the bottom of this document for a guide on how to spot a fraudulent link.

3. Other things that can be a sign of a fraudulent e-mail: . Does the e-mail contain typos and bad grammar? An e-mail from a professional company should be well written. . Is the e-mail promising you some unrealistic? If the e-mail is looking to give you a lot of money for little to no effort, it’s likely fraudulent. . Is the e-mail giving you a sense of urgency? Con artists try to convey a sense of urgency so that you will respond without thinking. . Is the To: line filled with undisclosed-recipients, or a large number of recipients? A legitimate email with important information for you will likely be addressed only to you. . Is the e-mail asking for personal information, like account numbers? Be aware of any emails asking you to “verify” account information. YCCC’s IT staff will never ask you for personal information via an e-mail (this does not include student ID numbers). When in doubt, contact the company directly to see if there is any issue with your account. Don’t reply through the email or click any provided links. How to verify a link in an e-mail A common way for a spam e-mail to direct you to a fraudulent web site is to put a link in an email that looks legitimate, but takes you to a malicious web site. This is done by making the display text for the link look correct, like: “Please visit http://www.yccc.edu for to verify your account”. However, if you hover your mouse icon over the link, it will tell you the actual URL that link will take you to. Here is an example of what you would see:

*Some of this image was altered as it was taken from a real spam email. Do not follow the URL in this image.

As you can see in the above screen shot, the “CLICK HERE TO UNBLOCK” link actually takes you to a file in a google docs folder. When in doubt, do not click any links, and always feel free to contact the YCCC IT department with any concerns or questions.