Take steps to protect yourself by using some common sense, simple precautions. Would your friend send you an email asking you to open a file or click on something weird? Would the company your work for ask you to send them your password information via email?
If it looks strange it probably is. Don't click on the strange looking link, or open that unexpected document. Your good judgement can go a long way in helping to stay safe. Verify the email first or just delete it if something feels wrong.
An important email can always be sent once more, and from the correct sender.
Keep a Watchful Eye: Treat any unexpected email with some suspicion.
Spelling and Grammar: Look for spelling and grammar errors.
Odd Subject Lines: Legitimate subject lines are specific. A generic subject line is a key indicator.
Know The Sender: If the sender is at Your Organization, contact them out of channel. The attacker may send an email that looks like it is coming from an executive at your organization asking for login information or a wire transfer of funds.
Sense of Urgency: Speed and urgency is a clue. Use your intuition and, if something "feels" wrong, call the sender's organization to validate the email. These usually present some false sense of urgency in an attempt to convince the recipient to skip proper due diligence.
Too Good to Be True: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Verify Strange Emails: Verify any email that asks for personal information (e.g., birthday, Social Security Number, username, password) by independently looking up the sender's contact information.
Stay security aware, and remember—check it before you click it.
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