One click is sometimes all it takes.
Phishing messages can look familiar, professional, and convincing, but their purpose is simple: to make you react before you think. At AXCENTIVE, we remain highly alert to this risk and are sharing this communication to reinforce awareness, encourage the right reflexes and help protect our information, systems and organization.
What is phishing?
Phishing is a form of social engineering in which attackers send emails or other messages that appear to come from a trusted source. These messages often aim to obtain passwords, financial information or confidential data, or to persuade the recipient to open an attachment, click on a link or approve an unusual request.
- Check the complete sender address. Display names can be misleading. Look carefully at the full email address, domain name, and spelling, especially when the message appears to come from a known organization or contact.
- Be cautious with unexpected or urgent requests. Pressure to act quickly, avoid a penalty, unlock an account or bypass normal procedures is a common warning sign.
- Treat links and attachments with care. Do not click links or open attachments in messages that are unexpected, unusual, or inconsistent with normal communication patterns.
- Do not trust familiar details alone. Fraudulent emails may copy names, signatures, logos, invoice numbers, previous conversations or other business information to appear credible.
What to do if you receive a suspicious email?
If a message feels unusual, unexpected, or inconsistent with normal practice, pause and verify it before taking any action.
- Do not reply, open attachments, click links, or use contact details provided in the suspicious message.
- Verify the request through a trusted channel, such as a known phone number, an official website or a contact already saved in your records.
- When the email appears to come from a business partner, alert your usual contact within that partner’s organization through a trusted channel, so they are aware that such an email has been received.
- Report the message promptly to your internal IT or security team, following your organization’s reporting process.
- Preserve the message if further investigation may be required but avoid forwarding it unless instructed by IT or security specialists.
Staying alert is the best protection. Phishing attempts can be highly convincing, especially when they use familiar names, branding, or business context. When in doubt, slow down, verify independently and report the message through the appropriate channel.
IT Team
AXCENTIVE SARL
