Don't Open Email or Text from Senders That You Don't Know

Be careful about what emails and texts you open. Phishing scams and malware attacks are on the rise, and they can cause a lot of damage to your computer and your personal information.

One of the best ways to protect yourself is to simply not open emails or texts from senders that you don’t know. If you’re not sure who the sender is, don’t even open the message. Even if the email or text looks like it’s from someone you know, don’t open it if the subject line or the body of the message doesn’t make sense.

Here are some other things to look out for when you’re trying to determine whether or not an email or text is safe to open:

• The sender’s email address. Is the email address from a legitimate company or organization? If the address looks strange or misspelled, it’s probably a scam.
• The subject line. Does the subject line sound urgent or threatening? If so, it’s probably a phishing scam.
• The body of the message. Does the message ask you to click on a link or open an attachment? If so, don’t do it. These links and attachments could contain malware that could infect your computer.

If you’re not sure whether or not an email or text is safe to open, you can always contact the sender directly to verify their identity.

See Scam and Fraud Protection for 2023 for more information and make sure to Sign Up for our Scam Prevention Newsletter.