What is phishing?
Phishing is a fake message — email, text, or phone call — that pretends to come from a trusted source, like your bank, Amazon, Social Security, or even a family member, in order to trick you into clicking a link, sharing personal information, or sending money.
Common red flags
- Urgency and fear: "Your account will be closed in 24 hours" or "Suspicious activity detected"
- Requests for gift cards or wire transfers — no legitimate company or agency asks to be paid this way
- An unfamiliar sender address that looks close to, but not quite, the real company's
- Generic greetings like "Dear Customer" instead of your name
- Spelling and grammar mistakes
- Links that don't match the real company's website when you hover over them
- Unsolicited pop-ups or calls claiming your computer has a virus
"This is Microsoft support calling. We've detected a virus on your computer. Please
allow us to remotely connect so we can remove it." — This is a classic tech support
scam. Microsoft, Apple, and similar companies do not make unsolicited calls like this.
Scams that specifically target seniors
- Tech support scams: a fake pop-up or call claims your device is infected
- Grandparent scams: a caller pretends to be a grandchild in an emergency, asking for money urgently and secretly
- Social Security / Medicare scams: callers claim your benefits are suspended unless you "verify" personal information
- Romance scams: an online relationship develops over time, then the person asks for money for a crisis
✅ Quick tips
- Never click links in unexpected emails or texts — go to the company's website directly instead
- Hang up and call the company or agency back using a number you look up yourself
- Verify with a family member by phone before sending money for an "emergency"
- Never give a stranger remote access to your computer
- When in doubt, pause and ask someone you trust before responding