Phishing and other scams

Did you get a suspicious email from “the Library”? Contact us!

What is phishing?

Cyber scammers have figured out how to  trick you into giving up your personal information. They may even have some info already so the email seems to be from someone legitimate in a targeted attack called spear-phishing.

What to look out for

Know that legitimate organizations do not contact you to provide money or your credit card information, or personal information.

Did you get an email or text message:

• from someone you don’t know, even if they seem to know you
• the email doesn’t match the sender information or seems wrong (outlookhelp@gmail.com instead of something@outlook.com)
• the language is strange, or has spelling and grammar errors (legitimate business emails are usually double-checked!)

And you are being asked to:

• click on a link (good practice to just never do this)
• open an attachment (again, better to never do this)
• has a QR code (you don’t know where this will take you)
• respond with personal information (perhaps the email is asking you to prove who you are, but why would you need to?)
• requires an urgent response (if it’s urgent then why is someone emailing you?)

Steps to take if you’re unsure

You can safely ignore most strange emails and delete or block them. But if you want to make sure:

1. Contact the organization by finding their contact information on their website or on the back of your credit card. DO NOT use the information in the email you think is suspicious.
2. Ask if the email or text message you got is accurate.
3. Report the suspicious message.

You were tricked, now what?

• Change your passwords – use strong and unique passwords. Consider using passphrases made of four or more random words and 15 or more characters for extra security.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) – adds an extra layer of security to your accounts and devices.
• Call your financial institution – If you shared any financial information (like a credit card number), contact your bank. You can recover lost finances and prevent any further losses, while monitoring your transactions.
• Check your device for viruses or other malware – If there was a suspicious link or attachment in the email, install anti-virus software and scan your device for viruses that may have been downloaded.

More information

From the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security – Get Cyber Safe:

• Don’t take the bait: Recognize and avoid phishing attacks
• What to do if you are a victim of a phishing scam