The holidays are an important season for hackers, too.
Phishing attempts typically jump during the holiday season, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which means online shoppers scouring for gift deals need to be on the lookout for scammers in their email inboxes.
You might be among the many people who received an email offer that sounds too good to be true — for a free Yeti cooler, perhaps. Or, you could be suspicious of a message from a major retailer or financial institution asking you to supply your login credentials or credit card information.
Either way, it pays to be vigilant. Phishing attacks are the No. 1 way scammers get to people these days, and they can be very clever, says Kevin Mitnick, a former hacker who’s spent the past two decades as a computer security consultant.
Your best defense: knowing the tricks they typically use, Mitnick tells CNBC Make It.
Here are six “red flags” that should trigger phishing alarm bells in your head, broken down by where you might find them in your inbox, according to Mitnick and online security platform KnowBe4, where he works as “chief hacking officer.”
‘From’
Start with the email’s sender. Do you recognize the email address as one you’ve communicated with in the past?
Check the email address and URL for misspellings that might be easy to miss at a quick glance, like “micorsoft-support.com,” Mitnick says. Those are likely from a scammer who’s hoping you won’t look too closely.
If you don’t know the sender…
