Does the supposed sender match the address inside the “<>s”? For Example:

• From: LamarServiceDesk<jdoe987@example.com>

While the name, LamarServiceDesk, in this email address may appear legitimate, the email address, jdoe987@example.com, is not from the Lamar University Service Desk. This email may have been compromised or spoofed.

Most phishing attacks originate from an individual email account that has nothing to do with the organization represented, or it looks very close to the real address…but not close enough (amaz0n.com vs. amazon.com).

If the email comes from a brand or institution you do work with, your name generally appears in the first line of the email.

If it says "Dear Customer", or something equally impersonal, that is a warning sign.

An effective tool to identify and avoid phishing attacks is the mouse hover. Use your mouse to position the cursor over the link without clicking.

Caution: Do not click on the link, just hover over it, and you will see the destination address or URL appear in a pop-up bubble or in the bottom left corner of your screen.

If the destination address does not lead to a site you would expect, it is likely a phishing attack.

The footer of any legitimate email should contain, at a minimum:

• A physical address for the institution or brand, and
• An unsubscribe option.

If it lacks either of these items, it is probably fake.

Email us at servicedesk@lamar.edu or call the Service Desk at (409) 880-2222.