If you have received a phishing attempt, TSC would like to be informed about it. In order to report a phishing attempt, please attach a downloaded .eml of the original email so that we can inspect it further. Instructions on how to download a .eml file of the original email can be found here. (Simply click the more 
icon located at the top right of the email interface -> Download message -> Then send us the downloaded file at helpdesk@lakeheadu.ca).
After you have sent us the email, you will also be able to report the email as phishing to gmail. To do so, users can click on the more icon in the upper right hand corner (beside the reply button) and select Report Phishing. By doing so, the email system will be informed of the suspicious email and can take appropriate action.
There is no guaranteed method to identify phishing emails and websites. Read and understand the indicators contained in Table 1.1 and 1.2. Remember, the presence of one or several indicators does not automatically mean it is a phishing attempt; it just means you should me more cautious.
Table 1.1: Comparison Between a Legitimate and Phishing Email| INDICATORS | LEGITIMATE | PHISHING |
| Greetings | normally Personalized | may have strange greeting or not personalized |
| Spelling | normally does not contain spelling mistakes | may contain spelling mistakes |
| Urgency | gives you time to think about the offer | uses upsetting or exciting statements to provoke impulsive and immediate reaction |
| Embedded/Hidden Link | no deception | visible link appears legitimate but actual redirection may be fraudulent |
| Personal Information Request | normally information not requested | may be requested or lead to a fraudulent site that does |
| Sender | e-mail address is consistent with the identity/country of the sender | e-mail address may not be consistent/spoofed with the identity/country of the sender |
| Corporate E-mail Use | legitimate organizations avoid asking client personal information by e-mail | use of legitimate organization’s name and reputation to contact a large number of consumers |
| Text | not likely to contain incomprehensible text | may contain disguised random text |
| INDICATORS | LEGITIMATE | PHISHING |
| Secure Site Markers | https:// in address bar and padlock icon in the status bar | may have discrepancies or not have any security markers |
| Functionality | fully functional | may not be fully functional or may link to an alternate website |
| Request for Personal Information | will not request for information that they already have | will request personal information |
| Domain Name | will use and display the correct domain name in the address bar or status bar | may be spoofed or contain a similar looking domain name or not have a status bar at all |
| Error in Browser Status Bar | normally will not contain error | may contain errors while loading web page |
| Login | will only be accessible with valid password | bogus user ID and password may work |
For additional information about protecting your personal information please visit RCMP page for the guide.
