Overview
Are suspicious emails showing up in your inbox? If an email asks you to click on a strange link ASAP, download a mysterious attachment, or hand over personal information, you may be the target of a phishing scam—a malicious attempt to steal your information or compromise your computer. Key giveaways are typos or misspellings, demands for "urgent!!" action, or a "From" email address that does not match the legitimate company that the sender claims to represent.
USC's Office of the Chief Information Security Officer (OCISO) asks that you report these suspicious emails by clicking on the Report Phish button in your email application.
When you click on Report Phish, the system will quarantine and analyze the email for malicious content. If malicious content is found, the system will automatically clawback (retrieve) the email from all impacted USC inboxes, thus mitigating security risks to you and your USC colleagues.
Using Report Phish in Outlook for Windows PC
Quick guide
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- In the top toolbar, click on the Report Phish icon. If you don't see it, you may need to click on the right-arrow icon.
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Click on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- In the top toolbar, click on the Report Phish icon.
Not seeing this icon? Click on the right-arrow icon:
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Click on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
Using Report Phish in Outlook for Mac
Default Outlook for Mac
Quick guide
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- In the top toolbar, click on the Report Phish icon. If you don't see it, you may need to click on the right-arrow icon.
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Click on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- In the top toolbar, click on the Report Phish icon.
Not seeing this icon? Click on the right-arrow icon:
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Click on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
New Outlook for Mac
Quick guide
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- In the top toolbar, click on the Report Phish icon. If you don't see it, you may need to click on the […] icon.
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Click on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- In the top toolbar, click on the Report Phish icon.
Not seeing this icon? Click on the […] icon:
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Click on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
Using Report Phish in the Outlook app for iPhone/iPad
Report Phish is only available in the Outlook app. If you are checking your USC email via the Mail app for iPhone/iPad, you will not see this feature.
Quick guide
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- Tap on the […] icon to the right of the sender information. Do not tap on the same icon in the top toolbar.
- Tap on the Report Phish icon. If you do not see this icon, you may be using an older version of the Outlook app: you can update Outlook through the App Store.
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Tap on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- Tap on the […] icon to the right of the sender information. Do not tap on the same icon in the top toolbar.
- Tap on the Report Phish icon.
If you do not see this icon, you may be using an older version of the Outlook app: you can update Outlook through the App Store.
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Tap on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
Using Report Phish in Outlook for Web/365/OWA (online)
Quick guide
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- In the email toolbar, click on the Report Phish icon. If you don't see it, you may need to click on the […] icon.
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Click on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
Detailed guide (with screenshots)
- Open the email (don't click on any links or attachments).
- In the email toolbar, click on the Report Phish icon.
Not seeing this icon? Click on the […] icon:
- Report Phish loads and a new window opens. Click on Report Phish.
- You're all set!
Additional resources
If you are using Gmail rather than Outlook as your email client, refer to ITS's guide on using Report Phish in Gmail:
For general information about protecting yourself from phishing scams: