How to Report a Phishing or Suspicious Email

How to Report a Phishing or Suspicious Email

Phishing emails are one of the most common attack methods used against businesses. Reporting a suspicious email does two things: it protects you by letting CMO IT Services investigate, and it helps us improve filtering so similar emails are caught automatically in the future. When in doubt, report it. A false alarm is always better than a missed threat.

How to Report in Outlook

  1. Do not click any links or open any attachments in the suspicious email.
  2. Click the "Report" button in the Outlook ribbon (top toolbar). If available, select Report Phishing. This sends a copy of the email to CMO IT Services and Microsoft for analysis.
  3. If the Report button is not visible, forward the email as an attachment to the CMO IT Services helpdesk. To forward as an attachment: create a new email, then drag the suspicious email into the new message body.
  4. Submit a helpdesk ticket describing what you received, especially if you clicked anything or entered any information.

What Happens Next

CMO IT Services will analyse the email. If it is confirmed as malicious, we will check whether anyone else in your organization received the same message and take appropriate action (blocking the sender, removing copies from other mailboxes). If you clicked a link or provided any information, we will guide you through additional steps such as changing your password and reviewing account activity.

Quick Red Flags to Watch For

Urgent language demanding immediate action. Unexpected requests for passwords or payment. Sender addresses that look similar to but do not exactly match a known contact. Links that go to unfamiliar domains when you hover over them (do not click, just hover).

Received something suspicious? Submit a ticket and a CMO IT Services technician will investigate.

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