I know, I know. By now, we all pretty much know better than to click on links in sketchy-looking emails. Except, obviously, we don't.
That was more than evident last week when a phishing scam that spoofed Google Docs invites began spreading like wildfire.
SEE ALSO:9 secret apps to hide your sextsThe phishing emails were slightly more convincing than some phishing attempts but they weren't really thatgood. As we pointed out at the time, looking at the email address details for about 10 seconds should have quickly raised a whole lot of red flags. That so many people were willing to blindly click on something so easily shows an astounding lack of common sense. We can all do better.
Most importantly, as Wiredastutely pointed out last week: one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself (and the rest of your address book) is to resist the urge to clickon everythingthat shows up in your inbox. Look, I get it. Curiosity kills. You get an email saying someone you know has shared something with you, your first instinct is to see what it is! We've all been there.
But just stop it already. Please, for the love of God, take a few seconds to think before you click.
Take a few seconds to think before you click
Is the email from someone you communicate with regularly? If not, give it a hard look before you touch anything. Look carefully at the sender information; was it sent directly by them directly to you? Are there other addresses you don't recognize? What about the subject line; does it sound like something they'd write? All of these are easily detectable red flags that take only a few seconds to check.
Look at the body of the email. While scammers are getting more sophisticated at copying parts of popular services, they rarely get it completely right. Instead they rely on getting it just close enough to fool people not paying attention. Don't be one of those people.
This is NOT what emails from Google Docs look like.Credit: In the case of the Google Docs scam, they spoofed the "open in docs" button but little else of what actual Google Docs invites are supposed to look like. And if you're not sure what these are supposed to look like, it's easily revealed by a simple Google search.
Next, what is the email actually asking you to do? Is it directing you to another site that immediately asks for login credentials? Is it just a link and no text? More red flags.
Here's a good rule of thumb: when in doubt, assume every odd-looking email is suspicious and delete often. Paranoid? Maybe, but better to be paranoid than hacked.
TopicsCybersecurity
(责任编辑：焦點)
Pokémon Go is so big that it has its own VR porn parody now
This totally redesigned condom just raised $1 million
Speedo drops Ryan Lochte after fake robbery tale
An astronaut just broke Scott Kelly's record, and Scott's not even mad about it
This app is giving streaming TV news a second tryVisualizing July's astounding global temperature records
July set a rare temperature record during a year that is featuring off the charts warmth. The month
...[详细]Hurricane damage could triple in the U.S. if global warming goes unchecked
When it comes to hurricanes in the U.S., large-scale trends are not in our favor. In fact, unless ac
...[详细]Videos show temples crumbling after Myanmar earthquake
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake has struck the north-central region of Myanmar, damaging ancient brick pa
...[详细]Brutal laser tag saga tells of kids vs. grown ups in a Yelp review
Yelp is an endless stream of customer experiences. Every now and then you get a truly entertaining s
...[详细]This German startup wants to be your bank (without being a bank)
BERLIN -- “That is f*cking clever,” said Ben Floyd, 33, as we sat in a trendy cafe in Be
...[详细]9 awesome things from Tokyo we want to see in the 2020 Olympics
After a very eventful couple of weeks, the 2016 Rio Olympics came to a close on Sunday, leaving us w
...[详细]Normal human Taylor Swift showed up for jury duty
Seems like Taylor Swift had a good reason for skipping out on MTV's Video Music Awards this year. Th
...[详细]How one Aussie company became huge in China
SYDNEY, Australia -- Walk through any Australian shopping mall, and you are likely to spot a Chemist
...[详细]How Hyperloop One went off the rails
In December 2014, an engineer with the unlikely name Brogan BamBrogan was in the driveway of his cla
...[详细]NYC real estate startup Compass is now worth $1 billion
New York-based real estate startup Compass Inc.raised new financing that values the company atmore t
...[详细]The U.S. will no longer have the final say on internet domain names
'The Night Of' finale: Too good for a second season. Please don't ruin it, HBO.
