One way criminals try to trick you is by using misleading hyperlinks in their emails. The hyperlinks typically lead you to a fake website where you enter sensitive information without even thinking. Criminals are counting on the fact that you will click the link without first checking to see where the link is taking you. Don’t let the criminals fool you.

Before you click a link, do your “hyperlink homework”!
Place your mouse cursor over a hyperlink and look for these signs of a scam:
• The link in the email does not match the link that appears when you mouse over the link.
• The link contains the “@” sign.
o For example, a link may be displayed as This would actually take the user to , as this is after the @ symbol.
• The link contains the name of a well-known company that may be slightly altered.
o For example, www.hcahealthcare.com could appear instead as (the “t” is missing) or (the “-“ is added.)
• The link contains an international abbreviation.
o For example, is a representation of a Chinese domain where “cn” represents China.
• The link is a shortened URL.
o Services like TinyURL, goo.gl, and bit.ly take hyperlinks and shorten them. The shortened URLs can conceal the original, spammy/phishy URL from you.
o For example, by using TinyURL, is shortened to .
o Note: You can follow these steps to check a “TinyURL” without clicking it:
1. Copy the link to the clipboard and paste it into your browser's address bar or type it in directly. Then type 'preview' before the address. For example, would become .
2. Press enter to bring up a preview page, and you'll see the full URL used for the TinyURL link without actually bringing up the linked-to page. If it has any signs of a scam, then don’t click the link.

If the hyperlink contains any of the signs of a scam, then don’t click the link. Delete the email.

No one likes to do homework, but “hyperlink homework” could keep you and others from becoming a victim of identity theft.

--
-Laye
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"With fair speech thou might have thy will,
With it thou might thy self spoil."
--The R.M

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