Imagine starting your workday to find your email inbox flooded with hundreds of junk emails all arriving at once. Before you can make any sense of the chaos, you receive a Microsoft Teams message from someone claiming to be from your organization’s IT team, offering to step in and fix the problem. They send you a link to install a “Mailbox Repair Utility”.

But this IT helper is actually a cybercriminal running a carefully planned scam! Cybercriminals send you this mass influx of emails deliberately to create a sense of panic and make their offer to help you seem credible. If you click the link they sent, you’ll be directed to a malicious webpage. Once on the page, you’ll be instructed to enter your username and password to install the repair tool. However, this webpage is designed to steal your login information, and the “repair tool” is actually malware!

Follow these tips to stay safe:

If you experience a problem with junk emails, contact your IT department directly through a verified channel. Don’t respond to anyone who messages you unexpectedly and offers to help.

You shouldn’t click links or install software if someone messages you unexpectedly, even if they claim to work for your IT department. If you receive a suspicious message, be sure to report it.

Remember, always stop and think before you act. Cybercriminals can attempt to trick you by creating a problem and then offering to help you “fix” it.