Your daily routine might include checking email and reading texts. One day, you receive an unsolicited message that’s anything but routine. It says there’s an urgent problem with your account or demands you update your information “right now” or face a fine or account closure. What should you do?

Be skeptical! These messages are called phishing. They seem legitimate because they include logos and websites that look familiar. However, if the sender asks for your username, password, SSN, account number or other personal information, it’s likely a hoax. If the message contains misspellings, bad grammar or no punctuation, it’s probably a scam.

If you receive a suspicious “Update Your Account Information” email or text, follow these tips:

• Don’t click any links or download attachments - they might lead to a fake website to steal your information or install malware on your device
• Don’t call the number in the message - the scammer might answer the phone
• If you think the message could be legitimate, like a request from a merchant you know and trust, get their official phone number or website from your account statement
• Sometimes you need to update your account, but be careful not to give valuable personal information to the wrong people
• Make sure you are on an official website before changing a password or payment information- look for a lock symbol in the browser bar

If a message looks suspicious, don’t reply. It might take a few minutes to verify if it’s legitimate or not. That’s a good investment of your time to protect your account and avoid a scam.