Identifying and avoiding phishing traps helps protect personal information from online scammers.
Phishing occurs when fraudulent emails are used to steal online passwords and other personal information. The emails can appear to come from a financial institution, business or government agency.
As part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the CyberSafe at USPS team suggests employees follow these tips:
- Don’t open an email unless you recognize the sender or the address.
- Check for errors. Mistakes in grammar or spelling are signs of phishing.
- Make sure attachments come from a reliable source before opening them.
- Don’t reply or respond to suspicious emails in any way. Don’t request removal from a distribution list or unsubscribe. Replying confirms your email address is valid and can result in more messages.
- Hover over the full URL in the web browser. If the address isn’t correct, it could be a phony site.
To report suspicious activity, email the Computer Incident Response Team at cybersafe@usps.gov or call 866-USPS-CIRT (866-877-7247).
More information is available on the CyberSafe at USPS sites on Blue and LiteBlue.