What to do if you get a suspicious email


Do not open any attachments or click any links. Confirm the email and any links or attachments come from the sender through other means of communication, such as a phone call, text, or Teams chats. 

If you can’t verify the message with the sender, delete the email and call IT Support 614-525-6106. Once you report a suspicious email, please scroll to the bottom of this article to see what to expect.

If you clicked a link or opened or downloaded an attachment from a suspicious email, call IT Support at  614-525-6106 as soon as possible with the following information:

  • What email address it was from
  • Where the link took you or what happened when you opened the attachment
  • What time you opened the attachment or clicked the link


How to use email until further notice

What you can do if you have NOT clicked a hyperlink or attachment:
  • Send emails and attachments as you would for normal business purposes. 
  • Use Distribution Lists

What you can't do:
  • Send any email or attachments regarding this security incident or elude to a security concern in any way.

This article will be updated when more information is available. 


How to spot a malicious email

Look at the email address, not just the sender
A suspicious or malicious email may come from a public email domain such as @Hotmail.com, @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @vacationhotels.com.

Don’t click or download suspicious attachments and links
If an email seems suspicious, don’t click on anything. An attachment or link can infect your device if you open or download it. 

The attachment may be disguised as something familiar, like an invoice, report, or purchase order

You can spot a suspicious link if the destination address doesn’t match the context of the rest of the email, and if there are a lot of misspelled words, or incorrect grammar. On a computer, hover your mouse over the link so the destination address appears in a small bar along the bottom of the browser.

The message creates a sense of urgency 
Many scams request that you act now or else it will be too late, such as This Invoice needs to be paid now.  The manufactured sense of urgency is equally effective in workplace scams. Be cautious—the longer you think about something, the more likely you are to notice things that don’t seem right.

Verify the sender through another means of communication
Even if you think an email is legitimate, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Call, text, or message the sender using Zoom or Skype to confirm they sent you the message you received from them.


What to expect if you report a suspicious email and/or click on the link or attachment

Thank you for reporting it! IT Support will direct you on what to do depending on the type of email, attachment or link you received. Here are some things we may do:

  1. IT Support will ask you to shut down your computer
  2. IT Support may log into your computer
  3. IT Support will scan your computer for viruses and to see what, if anything, the attachment or link did
  4. IT Support will contact you for more information
Creation date: 10/3/2023 1:58 PM      Updated: 10/20/2023 7:56 AM