Unfortunately, as phishing attacks become more sophisticated, it is very difficult for the average person to tell if a message is fraudulent. That is why phishing schemes are so prevalent and successful for criminals. For example, many phony email messages use real company logos of well-known brands.

Pinnacle developed a list of the "Super 6" questions you can ask yourself to help determine the legitimacy of any email.

1. Is this an unsolicited email?
2. Is the source of the email unfamiliar to you?
3. Does the email ask you to click a link, download or open an attachment or log in to proceed?
4. After reading the email, does the request seem suspicious?
5. When you hover your mouse over the link, is the redirect address different or unfamiliar?
6. Does the redirect link end with “.exe”, “.bat”, “.pdf” or “.zip”?

If your answer is “yes” to multiple questions, use extreme caution with the email and strongly consider deleting it.