Use the Report Phish Button in Outlook

[Faculty and Staff] To make it easy for the university community to report potential phishing attempts, a Report Phishing add-in is available in Outlook. This button lets you quickly delete and forward a suspected email to the Office of Technology Services (OTS).

Phishing is the use of seemingly legitimate email messages to trick consumers into disclosing private information, such as bank account details, social security numbers, credit card numbers and passwords. It can be difficult to tell a phishing email from a legitimate one. In most phishing schemes, the fraudulent email message will request customers or members to update or validate their financial or personal information to maintain their accounts. Perpetrators can use the stolen information to gain access to financial records or accounts, commit identity theft or engage in other illegal acts. To make it easy for the university community to report potential phishing attempts, a Report Phishing add-in is available in Outlook.

Recognize the warning signs!

• Requests for personal information in an email message. Financial institutions never ask for account information via email.
• Alarmist messages, including upsetting or exciting (but false) statements so you'll respond quickly without thinking.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is!

Report Phish in the desktop version of Outlook

1. Open a message in Outlook.
2. Locate the Report Phish button on the ribbon.
3. If you suspect that the currently-selected email is a phishing attempt, select the Report Phish button. A Report Phish panel will open to the right of the message.
4. Select the Report Phish button in the Report Phish panel to delete the message and alert the Office of Technology Services (OTS).

Report Phish in the online version of Outlook

1. Open a message in the web version Outlook.
2. Locate the Report Phish button (a red shield bearing an exclamation mark) on the toolbar.
3. If you suspect that the currently-selected email is a phishing attempt, select the Report Phish button. A Report Phishing box will open in the center of the Outlook window.
4. Select the OK button in the box to delete the message and alert OTS.

Report Phish in the mobile version of Outlook

1. Launch the Outlook app on your smartphone or tablet and navigate to the message you suspect is a phishing attempt.
2. Select the ... (More) button to the right of the subject and sender information in the top right corner of the message. (There is also a ... button at the top of the screen; do not use this one.)
3. Select the Report Phish button. The Report Phish panel will display.
4. Select the Report Phish button to delete the message and alert OTS.

Forward an email to Phishing@towson.edu

As an alternative to any of these approaches, you may also forward a suspected message to phishing@towson.edu. Like using the button, this will alert the OTS. However, it will not delete the message. But, you can do that yourself.