I have researched 3 articles for you which are important to keep yourself and others safe online.
A common email scam is to name a random looking email address with the name of a minister or even the chaplain to Readers. The email might have my name…. or your own priest’s name in the title…. But if you look carefully at the address it will look rather strange and not any of the usual addresses.
Typically the email will ask something simple to begin a conversation eg
‘can you contact me I need a favour’ or just checking your email please reply’ or worse, it might send an interent link…. Often beginning “tinyurl” which hides the true name of the link.
The invitation to click on it might be to check a picture, share a document or an invoice.
These emails Do NOT mean that the named person has been hacked and it is nothing to do with their REAL email address- it is a made up address using their name.
https://www.readers-chaplain.org.uk/internet-security/
Here is an excellent article for those of you who use social media
What is Social Media Account Cloning? | IdentityIQ
Another article explaining the different types of Phishing Scams
8 types of phishing attacks and how to identify them | CSO Online
This article from Microsoft sums up the way you can keep yourself safe online… make sure you scroll down the page to read the article under the little video of a rather colourful origami fortune-teller.
Eight ways to protect yourself online – Microsoft News Centre Europe