Cybersecurity Awareness Month: How to Detect & Avoid Phishing Scams

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Mazuma is proud to once again join this international initiative as a Cybersecurity Awareness Champion designated organization. We work year-round to help protect our Members, Team Members, data, and systems from an ever-growing and changing landscape of online threats and fraud. This yearly campaign reminds us that simple actions can make a big difference.

To learn more, visit Mazuma’s Member Security Center.

 A central theme in this year’s Cybersecurity Month, an initiative of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, is how to recognize and report phishing messages. Phishing emails or texts are designed to look legitimate and trick you into taking immediate action, but most contain clues that something isn't right.

Anatomy of a Phishing Scam

Before clicking a link or responding, be alert for these common warning signs:

• Suspicious Sender Address - The sender’s name may look familiar, but the actual email address might be misspelled, contain extra characters, or come from an unrelated domain.
• Urgent or Threatening Language - Messages that claim your account will be locked, suspended, or compromised unless you act immediately are often trying to create panic and rush your decision-making.
• Links That Don't Look Right - Hover over links before clicking. If the destination doesn't match the organization's official website, it could lead to a fake login page or malware.
• Requests for Personal Information - Legitimate organizations generally won't ask you to provide passwords, account credentials, or sensitive financial information through email.
• Details That Feel "Off" - Look for generic greetings, unexpected attachments, unusual requests, poor formatting, or references to invoices or account activity you don't recognize.

Pause Before You Respond

Whenever an email creates urgency, asks for sensitive information, or contains links you weren't expecting, take a moment to verify its legitimacy through a trusted source. A few seconds of caution can help prevent identity theft, account compromise, and financial loss.

Stay Tuned for More!

Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness month (and beyond!), we’ll be sharing tips, information, and resources with our Members on our blog and social media. Check back often and follow our social media channels to stay up to date!

For more information about phishing scams, visit FTC: How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams.

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