Spotting phishing email that pretends to be your internet provider

Everyone has an internet provider, which makes the provider's name a favorite disguise. The messages look like bills, outage notices or warnings that your account will close. This page is about telling them apart without needing to be a technician, and it applies to any provider, including High Desert.

What do the fakes look like?

Common ones say your account is suspended, your payment failed, your equipment needs an upgrade, your service will end today, or you are owed a refund. They come with a button or a link, often in a message that looks just like a real bill. The Federal Trade Commission lists several signs: a generic greeting, an invoice you do not recognize, and a link to update payment information, which it says legitimate companies will not email or text (FTC, read 10/15/26). CISA adds urgent or emotionally charged language with threats, requests for personal or financial information, shortened links, and lookalike addresses that swap a letter in a brand name, and notes that perfect spelling no longer rules a fake out (CISA, read 10/15/26).

What should I do with one?

Ask the question the FTC suggests: do I have an account with this company? If not, it is likely a scam; report it and delete it. If you do, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real, not the information in the message. For High Desert, that means the numbers on this site, 775-575-9593 or 775-391-5660, open 9 to 5 every day, or the Pay Online link from the Pay Online page. Do not open attachments, do not call numbers in the message and do not reply.

How do I check a message from High Desert?

Look at the sender's full address, not just the display name. The company's own mail uses hdiss.net addresses, so a sender with an extra letter or a different ending is a warning sign, though a matching name proves nothing by itself. Hover over a link, without clicking, to see where it goes; the real payment form for customers is the one linked from this site. When in doubt, phone. The agreement asks that questions about it be in writing to billing@hdiss.net, so if a message claims to be about your agreement, write to that address yourself rather than replying. Our guide to paying your bill online shows the real route.

What if I already clicked?

Do not panic, and act in order. Disconnect from the page without entering anything more. If you typed a password, change it on the real site, and anywhere else you used it. If you gave a card number, call the card company. Turn on two-step verification where you can. Run your computer's security scan. The guide on what to do after clicking a phishing link has the full list, and two-step verification covers the extra lock.

Where do I report it?

The FTC says to forward phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org, the Anti-Phishing Working Group, forward phishing texts to 7726 (SPAM) and report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Most mail programs also have a report phishing or report spam button; use it. If the message pretended to be High Desert, tell the office as well. Phone 775-575-9593 or email info@hdiss.net.

Why are older adults targeted?

Scammers pick people who answer calls and trust a familiar name. The same rules protect everyone: do not act under pressure, check by a route you know, and ask a family member. Read scams that target older adults and tech support scam calls for the phone versions. Nothing that arrives unasked requires an instant answer, and a person at the office would rather take a call about a suspicious message than have you guess.