Catching a Phish in Smartphone Email Apps
Using a mobile device email app to check your hawaii.edu emails is a quick and easy way to keep connected and up to date. But did you know that it's harder to spot a phishing email?
Whenever you receive an email, make sure to look for possible signs that the email is a phishing email.
- The sender email or phone does not match the company/organization it claims to be from
- The email or phone is different from the sender's typical email address
- The URL of a link does not match the website of the company/organization
- The message requests personal information such as credit card numbers, gift card codes, or passwords
- The message only contains an attachment
To make emails easily accessible, many email applications will only display the most important information. As a result, details about the legitimacy of emails may be hidden to the reader. If you see an email that seems suspicious or you are unsure about...
- For Android devices using the Gmail app, tap on the caret symbol (^) under the sender name to view more details.
For iOS devices using the built-in mail app, tap on the sender's name to view the sender's email.
- Never download files or send personal information unless you are sure that the email is legitimate.
If you still have doubts:
- Call the sender/agency/organization to verify that the email is legitimate.
- Contact the ITS Help Desk if you have questions about the validity of an official-looking communication.