Pause Before You Click

Every day, we click links in emails, text messages, social media posts and QR codes. While most are legitimate, scammers use fake links and messages to steal personal information, install malware or commit financial fraud.

Learning how to recognize common warning signs of a scam can help protect your personal and financial information. Before clicking a link, opening an attachment or responding to an unexpected message, take a moment to pause and verify that it is legitimate.

Here are five simple checks that can help you avoid phishing scams and online fraud.
 

1. Check the Sender
Before responding to an email or text message, look closely at who sent it. Scammers often impersonate banks, businesses and other trusted organizations using email addresses, phone numbers or names that look legitimate at first glance.

Watch for misspellings, unusual domains or small changes to an email address that may indicate the message is not from the person or company it claims to be.
 

2. Watch for Urgent or Unexpected Requests
Scammers often create a sense of urgency to get you to act before you have time to think. A message may claim your account will be locked, a payment is overdue, you've won a prize or immediate action is required.

If a message pressures you to act quickly, pause before responding or clicking. Take time to verify the request through a trusted source.

3. Check Links Before You Click
A link may not always lead where you expect. If you're using a computer, hover your cursor over the link without clicking to preview the web address.

Look carefully at the destination. If the website address is unfamiliar, misspelled or suspicious, don't click the link.

4. Be Cautious with Unexpected Attachments
Unexpected email attachments can contain malware or other harmful files, even when the message appears to come from someone you know.

If you weren't expecting an attachment or something about the message seems unusual, contact the sender using a phone number or email address you already know and trust. Don't use contact information provided in the suspicious message.

5. Go Directly to the Company's Website or App
If you're unsure whether an email or text message is legitimate, avoid using the link provided in the message.

Instead, open your browser and type the company's official website address yourself, or access your account through the company's official mobile app. This can help you avoid fraudulent websites designed to look like legitimate login pages.

Scammers rely on people reacting quickly. Taking a few extra seconds to check the sender, review a link and verify an unexpected request can help you recognize a potential scam before providing information or taking action.

When in doubt, don't click. Go directly to the trusted source and verify the request first.

Contact us at 641-753-5900 for more information on how to stay safe online.