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Sample Phishing Email

Learn how to spot potential signs of a fraudulent email. The example below is a phishing scam that appears to be from a Highmark health plan company — but isn't:

Follow the below guidelines to spot an email scam:

• Do you know who's sending the email?
  Hover your mouse over the "From" field to make sure it is from a legitimate source.
• Is the sender's email address correct?
  Do not open anything with a mismatched name and address. If John Smith is sending an email, his address should look something like jsmith@highmark.com not jsmith@highmrak.com.
• Are the tone, spelling and grammar correct?
  Misspellings and poor grammar are often signs of a scam email.
• Does the sender want you to open an attachment?
  Do not open attachments on suspicious emails or that you are not expecting from senders you know. You may also want to directly contact the sender to ensure that it was sent by them and is safe for viewing.
• Does the sender want you to open a link?
  Hover your mouse over the link without clicking on it. The link address or URL will appear in a small box. If you do not recognize the address or it does not match the organization name referenced in the email, do not click on the link.
• Is the sender asking you to take some other form of action?
  Email scams often include threats about what will happen if you do not take action immediately.
• Does the email follow up on a request you never made?
  Do not take action on the email if the message mentions events you don't recognize, such as winning a contest you never entered or resetting a password you didn't request.
• Are the closing remarks informal?
  It is standard practice for Highmark Health to provide a formal closing.

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