Pause before you open attachments and click links
October 12, 2009
Three quick tips:
- Never open attachments in e-mail or instant messages from strangers. If you know the sender but the message arouses your suspicions—here are some ways to identify fraudulent e-mails—check before you open the attachment. If they did not send it, delete the e-mail and ignore the instant message.
- Don’t click links in e-mail or instant messages. (If you know the sender, check before you click.) The same goes for pop-up windows and banner ads. Be especially wary of clicking a link that accompanies a request for confidential information, for example a link that says Click here…
- Do not click Agree, OK, or I accept to get rid of a pop-up advertisement, an unexpected warning, or even an offer to remove spyware. Instead, close the window by clicking the red X used to close dialog boxes in the upper-right corner of the dialog box, or by pressing Alt+F4 on your keyboard.