What is a Phishing or SPAM Email?
Phishing is an email that attempts to capture login credentials, sensitive or financial information or both. In some cases, phishing is an attempt to collect money. Generally, phishing emails attempt to convince users to unknowingly surrender information by providing an attachment for the user to open or by offering a link that looks similar to a link that the user is familiar with. In the case of the attachment, the attachment turns out to be malware that captures the user’s credentials once the file is opened. In the case of the familiar-looking link, the actual link points to the fraudulent website, where an attempt is made to harvest sensitive information once the user goes there on the web. Please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing for more detailed information.
SPAM is a bulk email that is either unsolicited or undesired by the recipient and seeks to promote a product for purchase. Often, an individual’s email address is “harvested” or otherwise gathered and added to a bulk mailing list without the individual’s consent or knowledge. Spam is then sent to the addresses in the bulk email lists. Please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_spam for more detailed information.
Instructions
In order to report your email please follow the instructions below:
Phishing
- Forward your email as an attachment to phish@unc.edu.
Spam
- Forward your email as an attachment to spam@unc.edu.
How to forward an email as an attachment?
There are two ways of forwarding an email as an attachment:
Drag and Drop Method
You can do this by first creating a new email and then select the email you would like to forward. Using the mouse drag it to the newly created email.
In the To field please put one of the addresses above based on the type of email you are reporting.
Using the email clients Forward as Attachment option.
- Click the New Mail to start a new message.
- This will open a new email so you may send it as an attachment to either email address above based on the type of email you are reporting.
- Highlight the message and Drag the message you want to forward into the body of the new message. It displays as an attachment.
Outlook 2010, 2013 and 2016 (Win)
- Select the email you would like to forward.
- On the Home tab, click the more respond options.
- Click on Forward as Attachment.
- This will open a new email so you may send it as an attachment to either email address above based on the type of email you are reporting.
Outlook 2011 and 2016 (macOS)
- Select the email you would like to forward.
- On the Home Tab, click Attachment.2011
2016
- This will open a new email so you may send it as an attachment to either email address above based on the type of email you are reporting.
Apple Mail
- Select the email you would like to forward.
- Click on Message in the Menu.
- Click Forward as Attachment.
- This will open a new email so you may send it as an attachment to either email address above based on the type of email you are reporting.
Thunderbird
- Select the email you would like to forward.
- Click on Message —> Forward As —> Attachment. This opens a separate new message window where you can enter the recipient(s) you want to receive the bounced message. Click the send button.
- This will open a new email so you may send it as an attachment to either email address above based on the type of email you are reporting.