1. 1

   Do NOT respond. If a message is a scam, responding confirms your contact information is active. Scammers can also use any information they learn about you to create more personalized and convincing cyber attacks.

2. 2

   Do NOT click on links or attachments. Clicking on a link may download malware onto your device, which is harmful software that can damage your device, spy on you, or steal your information.

3. 3

   Ask yourself: Do I have an account with this company or recognize the sender/caller? If either is true, contact the company using a legitimate phone number or website, contact the person who the scammer is claiming to be, or log into your account and check the status of the issue referred to in the message.

4. 4

   Check the message for red flags. Suspicious name, email, or phone number of the sender or caller; urgent or aggressive language; inconsistencies, typos, or errors in the content provided.

5. 5

   Hover over links to see the destination. On mobile devices, long-press the link to preview the destination. Look for misspellings in the URL, a mismatch between the displayed text and destination URL, or deceptive URLs such as paypal.com.scamsite.net.

6. 6

   Get a second opinion. Reach out to other people to see if they think the message may be fraudulent, as they may catch red flags you might have missed.

7. 7

   If you find the message to be fraudulent, report it.

ALWAYS avoid using numbers provided in a suspected scam message or phone call.