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Phishing Scams

Overview

Phishing is a type of scam where someone pretends to be someone you trust so you will click on a bad link, open a harmful attachment, or give away personal information. These scams can show up in email, social media, texts, or phone calls. With a little knowledge, you can learn how to spot and avoid phishing scams. 

Getting Started

Below are steps to help you understand what phishing is, how scammers try to trick you, and what to do if you encounter a phishing attempt.

What Phishing Looks Like

Learn the common forms phishing scams take so you can recognize them.

  1. Email phishing: Emails that look real but aren’t, often asking for information or directing you to a fake site. 
  2. Spear phishing: Targeted scams that use information about you to seem more believable. 
  3. Smishing: Phishing attempts sent as text messages. 
  4. Fake search result scams: Scammers make bad websites appear high in search results. 
  5. Social media scams: Pretending to be a friend or trusted account to trick you. 
  6. QR code scams: Bad QR codes placed over real ones to send you to harmful sites. 
  7. Vishing: Voice phone scams using fake caller IDs to sound real.

How to Spot a Phishing Attempt

Before you click or reply, check these signs that a message might be fake.

  1. Check if the message promises something that seems too good to be true. 
  2. Look for urgent or threatening language pushing you to act fast. 
  3. Watch for poor spelling, bad grammar, or awkward wording. 
  4. See if the greeting is generic, like “Dear user.” 
  5. Be cautious if it asks for personal info or pressures you to open a link or attachment. 
  6. Check that the sender’s email address exactly matches the company or person it claims to be from. 

What To Do if You See Phishing

If you think a message is a phishing scam, follow these steps to protect yourself and the MCC community.

  1. If the fake message is sent to your MCC work or student email, report it to helpdesk@mclennan.edu. 
  2. If it is sent to your personal email, do not click any links, reply, or even click “unsubscribe.” 
  3. Delete the message. 
  4. Remember: don’t click on links in suspicious messages. 

Additional Details

  • Phishing attacks are designed to trick you and can lead to stolen personal information or malware on your device. 
  • Many phishing scams rely on social engineering—using trust or urgency to get you to act without thinking. 
  • Taking a few seconds to think before you click can help you avoid becoming a victim. 

Resources

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