What is a Phishing Scam? Email phishing exploits trust using social engineering. It tricks users by:

• Posing as trusted sources.
• Urging the revelation of sensitive details.
• Tempting with malicious links or prompts.

✨Golden Rule: If an email feels off or too good to be true, trust your instincts.

📧 Received a suspicious email? Report it to privacy@sva.edu.

⚠️ SVA Never Asks For:

• Your login details via email.
• Payments via apps like Zelle or Venmo.
• Copies of bank checks.

How to Spot a Phishing Email:

1. Urgent or Threatening Tone: e.g., “Immediate action required!”
2. Catchy Subjects or offerings of rewards.
3. Spelling/Grammar Errors and strange formatting.
4. Requests for Personal Data: e.g., Social Security number.
5. Suspicious Addresses: like ITAdmin@sva.edu or Chase@Yahoo.com.
6. Generic Greetings: Absence of personal contact details.
7. Odd or Shortened URLs: Always hover to check before clicking!

🔍 Example of a Fake Email: An alleged PayPal email with:

• Subject: “Account Closure Notification”.
• Unusual punctuation errors.
• Absent contact info.
• Misleading buttons like “Activate My Account”.
• Authentic-seeming but false information at the bottom.

Be Alert. Be Safe.

Always double-check a site’s URL for security indicators like the lock symbol and “https://” prefix.