OVERVIEW
This article provides some examples and explanations of the fake phishing emails sent in the September 2023 campaign. Here a Loom video where I talk through some of them. Remember, to spot a phishing email keep these questions in mind:
- Were you expecting an email like this?
- Is it a type of email you have seen before?
- Does the email address look valid?
- Did the email come from a trusted source?
- If you hover your mouse over any links, does the destination appear suspicious? Do the links point to the same address the email says they do?
- Does the email create some false sense of urgency?
As you will see in the following examples, some, or all, of the above questions provide clues that suggest the emails are not legitimate.
Example 1 - Code of Conduct
This email has a number of red flags:
- We do not send emails from HR@ma.org. All HR related emails come from Francesca. Email addresses, even @ma.org" can be faked!
- We don't have a specific "Code of Conduct". Instead, we have the MA Employee Handbook.
- It creates a false sense of urgency ("effective immediately" combined with it being the "Code of Conduct").
- The "Updated Code of Conduct" link points to something suspicious.
Example 2 - Bad Customer Review
This email has the following red flags:
- "Customer Reviews" don't make much sense in the context of nearly all of our roles in an EDU setting.
- We don't have a "Marin Academy Customer Review Portal"
- There is a false sense of urgency and alarm ("A negative review", "Take action ASAP").
- The "Read Review" button points to a suspicious link.
Example 3 - Question about the Letter
This example has the following red flags:
- This email was sent from a generic account but seems to address you directly.
- It tries to create a false sense of alarm ("manager" and "received a letter").
- The link says it goes to "photo-notification.com", but if you hover over the link it points to something completely different.