Asking someone about Spam Email you may have Received

When Asking about Phishing Email, Make Sure to Write a Separate Email Too

Unfortunately, email is not an entirely reliable communications medium. This is due to the combination of spam filters, addressing errors, and server failures. With certain types of email, it’s worth double-checking that a message was seen. One example of that we see is with reports of phishing email, which is used to try to trick you into revealing passwords, credit card info, or other sensitive information. Phishing messages can be tricky to identify—that’s their goal. If you’re forwarding a possible phishing email to a trusted contact, maybe you have a friend who can check to see if it is spam, remember that spam filters often catch such messages, so they may go unseen. There is a simple and easy work around for this awkwardness, send a separate message saying you’ve forwarded what you think might be a phishing message so the recipient knows to check their Junk mailbox if need be. It’s helpful if you can include the Subject line of the suspect message. That person will now know you are sending them an email you’d like them to evaluate.