Be on the Lookout for Phishing Email Scams

January 23—There has been a recent increase in phishing across the internet, specifically via email impersonation. While SAA has safeguards to protect from scams, it is hard to get ahead of email impersonation. Email senders are general accounts made to look like they are internal or external from trusted parties. Therefore, please be alert to any suspicious emails. 

Here are a few general rules to follow:

1. If an email seems suspicious, check the sender. Look closely, as many scammers add a words or letters to what looks to be a trusted email address.
2. If an email is asking for any personally identifying information or for any protected business information, do not reply. Verify the validity of the request internally prior to proceeding.
3. If a suspicious email asks you to click a link, do not.
4. We would never ask you to share any passwords, especially not via email. If any email is requesting that you share credentials—username, password, or other security information—do not reply and report the email.

If you are unsure about an email and it came from an internal sender, call or message that person separately to confirm the request. Do not respond to the email until you receive confirmation. If the email is from an external sender or you cannot verify the request, and you are unsure if it is safe to open, send an inquiry to your IT Help Desk for review prior to taking action or replying to the email.

Learn more about the trends of business email impostors and spoofing and phishing from the Federal Trade Commission and FBI.