Janelle Drolet is vice president of sales and operations for Towerwall, a cybersecurity consulting firm based in Framingham.
Updated: 8 hours ago
Advice
10 Things I know about ... Spotting phishing emails
By Janelle Drolet
10) Personalized AI scams. Gone are the days of poor grammar, typos, and poor syntax. Scammers now use AI to craft perfectly correct language like a local, down to saying, “Wicked awesome” if they are allegedly from Boston.
9) Beyond generic. Today’s AI-sophisticated phisher will address you by name and reference specific details mined from your social accounts.
8) Sophisticated addresses. Phishers mimic legitimate email addresses and domain names with slight tweaks. “Microsoft” could be spoofed as “MICRO5OFT.”
7) Hover before you click. Before clicking any link, hover over it to see the actual URL domain address. If it looks unfamiliar or suspicious, too long, or just plain weird, avoid and delete. Ensure the sender's email domain matches the website URL
6) Urgent requests. Legit companies and government entities never ask for sensitive info via email, phone, or text, and they never use threats, even if they claim to be from the Internal Revenue Service.
5) Think before you act. It’s human nature to be impatient and impulsive, even greedy. Scammers exploit these human traits and competitive biases, using them to lure victims. Be wary of unexpected requests.
4) Unexpected attachments or links. Be cautious with unsolicited attachments or links, even from known contacts. Cybercriminals can compromise accounts and use names from your own contact list.
3) Beware of romance scams. Yes, they exist. Scammers will take a measured approach, biding their time to establish a trusting relationship, eventually confessing their love, then asking for a loan for their child’s emergency surgery.
2) AI-generated voice and video. With AI advancements, scammers can create convincing voice or video messages called deepfakes or synthetic media. Look for lack of torso movement and neck tendons. Deepfakes are unable to show a face in profile.
1) Exercise caution. Be wary of unexpected meeting invites. Scammers embed phishing links in event details.
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