Practice tip of the week: How to spot a malicious email

With all the useful information available on Physicians Practice, it is easy to become overwhelmed.

With this in mind, the tip of the week is a chance to reflect on some of the wisdom found all across the site.

In a February 2022 story on identifying malicious emails, Hoala Greevy gave this tip on how to spot an email scam.

“To stay vigilant, review both the name and email address before responding to an email. A legitimate-looking email address may also have a few missing or swapped letters upon closer inspection, so be mindful of the small details. Malicious links may also be incorporated into the body of an email, so always exercise caution. Hover over the link with your mouse to see whether the text and actual destination align. Generic greetings like “valued customer” and vague signatures can also be red flags, as a valid organization will typically refer to recipients by name and include contact information. If a sender claims to be somebody you know, be wary of any noticeable differences in language or tone. An email that instills a sense of pressure or urgency is automatically a bad sign. Legitimate organizations will also not ask for sensitive information over email, such as login credentials or Social Security numbers.”

Come back next week for another tip of the week.