Email Safety Tips for MWI Ombuds
Why You Should Be Cautious
Viruses are often hidden in legitimate emails and contain traps set by hackers. Clicking on links or downloading attachments from these emails can lead to data theft and damage to computer programs.
How to Spot a Suspicious Email
Here are some tips to help you identify potentially dangerous emails:
- Check the Sender’s Address: Be wary of emails from unknown senders, especially if the email address looks strange or doesn’t match the domain it claims to be from. Emails from MWI staff or other panel members will always come from the domain mwi.org. You can verify that a visitor’s email matches the email MWI has on record in the Visitor record in Salesforce.
- Look for Spelling and Grammar Errors: Many phishing emails contain obvious spelling or grammatical mistakes.
- Beware of Urgent or Threatening Language: Emails that pressure you to act immediately, such as claiming your account will be locked or that you’ve won a prize, are often fraudulent.
- Don’t Trust Unsolicited Attachments: Never open attachments or download files from unexpected emails, even if they appear to come from MWI or a visitor.
- Hover Over Links: Before clicking on any links, hover your mouse over them to see the URL. If it looks suspicious or doesn’t match the supposed sender’s website, don’t click.
What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Email
- Do not click on any links or download attachments.
- Use the “report phishing function.” To do this on Outlook on the web (OWA via your browser), select the email, select Report, and then select Report phishing or Report junk in the dropdown list.
- Delete the email and empty your Deleted Items folder.
- Run a virus scan on your computer.
Please contact Josh at jhoch@mwi.org if you receive an email that looks suspicious before you click on it. Thank you, and stay cyber-safe!
