02/25/2026
Remember these? SPOT THE DIFFERENCE games may have unknowingly prepared us for phishing attempts!
Phishing attempts try to look like legitimate companies like banks, internet service providers, law firms, etc. They may come from an email address that looks real, or may be masked to look like someone you know (no, your boss doesn’t need you to buy gift cards), and they can even be intimidating or threatening.
Look out for communications that:
🔬Have strange email addresses or typos in the email address like policy@mastercardlegal.com or businessaccountmanager@facebookmanager.com
🔎Create a sense of urgency or danger, like a legal notice of copyright violation or a threat to disable your account by a certain date
Include links or attachments to ‘file an appeal’, ‘view the terms of service’, or see your post containing supposed violation
👀Contain links that LOOK legit, but hide behind alternative characters (such as cyrillic letters, a 0 in place of an O, or a lowercase L in place of an I)
🕵🏾Are unsolicited (you didn't ask for it; they just sent it to you) or from an unknown sender
❓Ask for things like verifying your username, password, account numbers, etc.
🧞Offer something seemingly valuable, like a discount code or chance to win a prize
🤓Use poor spelling and grammar
Always confirm the issue independently BEFORE take any action, including clicking any links or opening attachments. Use a search engine to find a number or email to contact the company, not the information in the email.
More info to keep yourself safe at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam (don’t worry, this link is safe🙂)
