1. Check the email address: Examine the sender’s email address carefully. Phishing emails often use deceptive or slightly altered email addresses that may mimic legitimate sources. Look for misspellings, extra characters, or unusual domain names.
2. Be cautious of generic greetings: Phishing emails commonly use generic greetings like “Dear Customer” instead of addressing you by name. Legitimate emails from reputable organizations typically personalize the greeting with your name.
3. Analyze the email content: Phishing emails often contain spelling and grammar mistakes, unusual sentence structures, or poor formatting. Be skeptical of emails that have a sense of urgency, demand immediate action, or threaten consequences for not complying.
4. Check for suspicious links: Hover your mouse over any links in the email (without clicking) to reveal the actual URL. Verify if the link matches the claimed destination or if it redirects to a suspicious or unrelated website. Be cautious of shortened URLs or unusual domain extensions.
5. Beware of requests for personal information: Legitimate organizations rarely ask for personal information or login credentials via email. Be suspicious of emails requesting sensitive data such as passwords, Social Security numbers, or bank account details.
6. Pay attention to email attachments: Exercise caution when opening email attachments, especially if they are unexpected or from unknown senders. Malicious attachments can contain malware or viruses that compromise your computer’s security.
7. Verify with the organization: If you receive an email from a company or organization asking for sensitive information or requesting action, independently verify its authenticity. Contact the organization directly through their official website or customer service channels to confirm the email’s legitimacy.
8. Trust your instincts: If something feels off or suspicious about an email, trust your instincts. If it seems too good to be true or raises doubts, err on the side of caution and avoid interacting with it.

Remember, phishing techniques can be sophisticated, and scammers continuously evolve their tactics. Stay vigilant, keep your software up to date, and consider using email filtering and anti-phishing tools provided by your email service provider to enhance your protection against phishing attacks.