How to Identify a Phishing Attempt

Phishing techniques have become increasingly sophisticated, making it difficult to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent emails. However, there are some indicators that can help you determine if an email is legitimate:

• Check the Sender's Email Address: Verify who the email is coming from. If it's from a student, do you know them personally? Suspicious domains like @park-land.edu or @parkland.com instead of @parkland.edu or @stu.parkland.edu can indicate a phishing attempt.

• Sense of Urgency: Be cautious of emails that create a sense of urgency, such as requests to reset your password or renew your account immediately. Scammers often use urgency to pressure you into acting before thinking.

• Attachments and Links: Avoid opening attachments or clicking on links until you are certain the email is from a trusted source. Malicious files and links can collect your personal information or install malware on your computer.

• Suspicious Offers: Emails offering job opportunities, expensive items, or anything that seems too good to be true are often phishing attempts.

Phishing attempts can exhibit any combination of these signs. It’s better to be overly cautious than to risk a potential data breach. For more information on phishing, visit, check out this website.

How to Report a Phishing Attempt

If you believe you have received a phishing email, you can report it to Parkland's Cybersecurity team using the following steps:

1. Open the Suspicious Email:

• In your Microsoft 365 (Outlook) inbox, open the email you suspect is phishing. You can then report it in one of two ways. 

2. Report via the Ribbon: 

• Click on the Report button in the ribbon at the top of the email window.
• Select Phishing from the dropdown menu.

3. Report via More Actions:

• Click the icon with three dots (More actions) in the upper-right corner of the message.
• In the dropdown menu, click on Report.
• Select Report phishing from the options.

Once step 2 or 3 is completed, the message will automatically be deleted from your inbox.

By reporting phishing emails, you help protect yourself, the college and others from potential cyber threats.