Protect yourself from phishing and other fraud

Phishing is a type of cyber attack perpetrated by hackers through email. Phishing scams use emails that attempt to threaten or trick you into doing something—usually, the goal is to get the victim to reveal a password or other personal information or to download malware. Phishers may even attempt to steal your credit card and bank account numbers or your birthdate and Social Security number.

Phishing email scams work by trying to shock, threaten, or trick you into responding without thinking. Watch out for phrases like these:

• "Your email account will be canceled unless you click here."
• "Thank you for your payment of $2,374.27. Click here for more information."
• "We've noticed unusual activity on your account. Click here to verify it or access will be terminated."
• "To qualify for this special offer, reply to this email message with your email address, password, and date of birth."

All these phishing scams ask you to "verify" or "confirm" personal information by replying with the requested information or by going to a fake website that resembles a reputable one. For example, a phisher might create a fake Gmail, Facebook, or University Web page to trick people into "logging in" with their real username and password.

Providing personal information in a reply email or through a fake website puts your accounts—and even your identity—at risk. Hackers could use your account to steal money or place orders, and they could use your personal information to commit identity theft.

Some guidelines to remember:

• If you are unsure of the legitimacy of an email, contact the alleged sender using a published telephone number or website address to verify the message.
• Learn how to inspect links in an email before you click them. For example, if email allegedly came from the University, make sure the links go to a legitimate "udel.edu" website.
• Be cautious of messages containing a lot of typos and grammatical errors; those are often signs of a phishing scam.
• Be suspicious of any email that asks you to click a link to provide personal information.
• Avoid opening unsolicited or suspicious email attachments.
• NEVER send email containing your Social Security number, credit card numbers, online banking credentials, or passwords.
• NEVER provide personal information in reply to unsolicited email, text messages, social media, or other electronic communication—even if the messages appear to come from someone you know.