Phishing Emails
– By #Midstate
Why did I get an email appearing to be from Midstate Communications with one of these subjects: "This is very important", "Your email has been flagged", or "Your Midstate account shall be suspended"?NOTE: Midstate Communications will NEVER ask for account information via email.
Some Midstate customers may occasionally receive emails that appear to be from Midstate but are not. These emails are known as "phishing" emails, which are messages disguised as authentic emails designed to collect confidential account information from Midstate customers.
Here are five simple ways to spot a phishing email:
1. The email asks you to confirm personal information. Midstate, or any other reputable company, will never ask you to confirm confidential information via email.
2. The website and email address of the sender look suspicious. The sender of the email appears to be suspect, and may even come from a different midstatesd.net email address or from a completely different company than Midstate, where it will not show a Midstate address anywhere.
3. The email is poorly written. You may also notice some very serious grammatical or spelling errors throughout the email. This, paired with requests for personal information or to click on a link, are telltale signs that the message is not legitimate.
4. There may be a suspicious attachment. The attachment could contain a malicious URL or Trojan virus, leading to the installation of a virus or malware on your device and/or network. Even if you think an attachment is genuine, it's good practice to always scan it first using antivirus software.
5. The message is designed to make you panic. It is common for phishing emails to instill panic in the recipient. The email may claim that your account may have been compromised and will be shut down or terminated unless you verify the login credentials.
What should I do if I receive a phishing email?
There are a few actions you can take if you suspect you've received a phishing email:
1. Delete it. It may seem obvious to say, but if you receive one of these emails, delete the email from your inbox AND empty your deleted items folder to ensure the email is completely erased.
2. Mark it as Spam. On a suspected phishing email, you can mark the message as spam or junk, as well as block the sender. Instructions vary depending on which email service you use.
- Midstate https://guides.myonlinehelp.net/docs/midstatesd.net/zimbra_faq
- Gmail: https://support.google.com/mail
- Mail.com: https://support.mail.com/index.html
- Outlook: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook
- Yahoo: https://help.yahoo.com
Report the email to Midstate: If the email appears to come from Midstate, forward the original email to internet@midstatesd.net so our IT Team can investigate. If there is any doubt/concern about an email from Midstate that may not be legitimate, please contact the IT Team at 605-778-8028
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