Though the bad guys do occasionally attempt to spoof an email address, most phishing attempts originate from one of the major email providers, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.   Scammers rely on most users not looking at the email address itself and only noticing the display name, which they will change to resemble someone you trust or know well.  Paying attention to the entire email address is often an overlooked and quick way to determine if the email you received is legitimate or at least should be questioned: 

Look at the full FROM address of an email:

The following is an example of a normal email FROM address sent from a Gmail address:
 

The FROM address of an email is in two parts, the Display Name and the Originating Email Address.

It’s easy to see from looking at the above ORIGINATING EMAIL ADDRESS part  (notice the @gmail.com)  that the email did not come from a Concord email address.  But if you only look at the DISPLAY NAME part of the address, you may see someone you know, a supervisor, friend, co-worker, etc.  and think this is a legitimate email.  Scammers use this to trick you into opening and clicking.

 
This is why it’s important to always look at the Originating Email Address section of a FROM address.  If that isn’t a Concord address, and it's asking for Concord related information from you, this should cause you to question its intentions.  Especially if it’s asking for login or personal information or linking to a website or form (which has been a common scam lately).

A good rule of thumb is:  If you are not expecting it, take time to look it over, ESPECIALLY THE FROM ADDRESS, and question it.   Be careful what you click and don’t enter any information without verifying what it’s for.   When in doubt, ask.  Technology Services can help you determine if the email is legit or not.

If you have any questions about the above, just contact the helpdesk at [email protected]