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...

  1. For Android devices using the Gmail app, tap on the caret symbol (^) under the sender name to view more details.

    Checking email sender on Android

    For iOS devices using the built-in mail app, tap on the sender's name to view the sender's email.

    Checking email sender on iOS Checking email sender on iOS

  2. 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.
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Article ID: 1708
Created: Thu, 18 Aug 2016 11:28am
Modified: Wed, 19 Aug 2020 2:09pm