Phishing awareness

These emails often pretend to be from trusted online services to trick people into sharing personal or sensitive information.

What is phishing?

Phishing is when someone tries to fool you into giving away private information by pretending to be a trustworthy source. This can happen through text messages, social media, or phone calls - but most phishing these days comes through email.

What should you do?

Always take a moment to think before acting on any email:

• Does the email make sense? Is it expected, or out of the blue?
• Is it from someone you know? If yes, does it sound like something they’d usually send?
• Is it vague or pushy? Be cautious if it just says something like “see billing details” without any context.
• Check the email address. Does it look unusual or come from overseas when it shouldn't?
• Avoid clicking links or opening attachments unless you're sure the email is genuine.
• Can you check its legitimacy in another way? For example, by contacting the sender through another trusted method.

Be especially cautious with emails claiming to be from familiar organisations like the Scottish Government, HMRC, or Royal Mail - scammers often pretend to be these trusted sources.

If you think you’ve clicked a phishing link

Don’t panic - but act fast. Report it immediately to the IT Service Centre by calling extension 5656 or emailing: ITServiceCentreTeam@southlanarkshire.gov.uk.