Malicious Email Attachments

An attachment is a file sent along with an email or text message. 

A file can be a picture or a document but it can also be something malicious.

If you open a malicious attachment, your computer or mobile device could be disabled and/or seized control of by a cyber criminal.

In addition to your computer no longer be operable and/or under your control, your confidential information would also be comprised and accessible by the cyber criminal who sent you the attachment.

Tips to stay out of trouble

• Stop, look and think before you click or tap.
• Look for visual cues during computer use (e.g. message attachments are often designated by a paper clip icon 📎).
• Don’t open any message that has an attachment unless you know the sender of the message and you were expecting them to send an attachment.
• If you get an attachment you were not expecting, contact the sender of the message through a separate email or another form of contact.

Things to know

1. The sender of a message may not be who you think they are.
2. People can easily be impersonated online (e.g. email addresses can be faked).
3. A company like FedEx or UPS or your bank will rarely send you an attachment. If you get a message that has an attachment from what seems to be a reputable organization, it will most likely be a scam of some kind.

Video

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