How to Spot a Phishing Email

What is a Phishing Email and How Do They Work?

Phishing emails are like wolves in sheep's clothing - fraudulent messages designed to trick you into spilling sensitive info, like passwords, credit card numbers, or other personal details. These emails often masquerade as messages from trusted organisations or people you know. Often they try to entice you to click a link or open attachment, using language that is urgent, appealing, or making the content seem time sensitive. Sneaky, right?

The game plan for phishing is simple: stir up urgency or tug at your emotions. For example, you might get an email claiming your account’s been hacked (cue panic mode) and urging you to click a link to “fix” it. That link then whisks you off to a fake website that looks real enough to fool anyone. Once there, you’re asked for your info, and boom - attackers have what they need, and they then move into your accounts, playing havoc, and costing you time and money.

Common Types of Phishing Emails

Phishing attacks come in many flavours, each designed to exploit different types of people. Here’s a few of the most common to watch out for:

1. Deceptive Phishing: The classic con. These emails pretend to be from a legitimate company, asking for personal info or nudging you to take action, like verifying your account.
2. Spear Phishing: A little more personal, these targeted attacks zero in on specific people or organisations, often sprinkling in little details that make the email look extra legit.
3. Whaling: Think big fish. These scams are aimed at high-level execs or decision-makers by impersonating trusted colleagues or partners, such as the finance department, or a trusted vendor.
4. Clone Phishing: Attackers duplicate an actual email you’ve received, swapping out links or attachments for malicious ones.
5. CEO Fraud: Fraudsters love drama - these emails pretend to be from your CEO or manager, demanding urgent action. Usually money-related, of course. But sometimes, they can be a simple warm up question, such as ‘Are you there still?’, then an email conversation begins.
   

How to Identify a Phishing Email

Spotting phishing emails is a survival skill nowadays. Cyber criminals are clever, but their emails often come with tell-tale signs. Here’s how to sniff them out:

1. Suspicious sender email address:
   What to Look For: Sketchy email addresses that look legit at first glance but have subtle red flags, like "admin@amzn-support.com" instead of Amazon's official domain, amazon.com
   Tip: Hover over the sender's email address to see the full domain. If it’s off, don’t engage.
2. Generic Greetings:
   What to Look For: Impersonal openers like “Dear Customer.” They don’t know your name because, well, they’re scammers.
   Tip: Real companies usually personalise their emails.
   
3. Urgent or Threatening Language:
   What to Look For: Phrases like “Immediate action required!” or “Your account will be suspended!” are designed to send you into panic mode.
   Tip: Take a breath. Visit the account in question directly (do not click any links in the email), sign in, and check your account is still OK.
4. Unexpected Attachments or Links:
   What to Look For: Links that seem off or random attachments that you weren’t expecting.
   Tip: Hover over links before clicking, and when in doubt, type the company’s genuine URL directly into your browser. Do not open unexpected attachments.
5. Spelling and Grammar Errors:
   What to Look For: Typos and weird wording that scream “unprofessional.”
   Tip: Legit companies proofread. If the email looks sloppy, hit delete.
6. Requests for Sensitive Information:
   What to Look For: Anyone asking for passwords, tax related or financial related information, or payment info via email.
   Tip: Don’t do it. Real companies, especially banks, won’t ask for this stuff over email.
7. Mismatch Between Email Content and Sender:
   What to Look For: Does the email claim to be from your bank but talk about services you don’t use? That’s a big red flag.
   Tip: Double-check the email’s content against your actual accounts or services. If it doesn’t add up, don’t engage.
8. Fake Branding:
   What to Look For: Scammers often try to copy logos, colours, and layouts from real companies, but they rarely get it just right. Look for distorted logos, mismatched colours, or poor design.
   Tip: If the branding looks off, it’s a good reason to be suspicious.
9. Unusual requests:
   What to look for: If an email asks you to do something strange, like send money to an unknown account or buy gift cards, pause. This is a common phishing tactic.
   Tip: Always confirm any unusual requests through official channels before taking action.
   

Common Phishing Email Tactics

Scammers are clever—they know how to make their emails look convincing. To fool people, they use tricks that play on emotions and create a false sense of urgency. These tactics are designed to make you click, share information, or take risky actions without thinking. Here are some of the most common strategies they rely on:

• Spoofed email domains: Tweaking legit domains to fool you (e.g., amaz0n.com).
• Fake invoices or receipts: “You owe us money!”, but do you, though?
• Fake delivery notices: Unsuccessful deliveries, consignment attachments. All fake
• Prize or lottery scams: Congrats, you’ve won! Except… you haven’t.
• Suspicious activity alerts: Claims your account’s been hacked, prompting you to “verify” your info.
• Charity Scams: Playing on your kindness by using disasters to solicit fake donations.

How to Protect Your Business from Phishing Emails

Stopping phishing in its tracks takes a mix of knowledge and tech. Here’s how to shield your business:

• Educate employees: Knowledge is power—regular training keeps everyone sharp.
• Use advanced email filters: Let tech block anything sketchy before it gets to people.
• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): This is a necessary 2^nd layer of protection.
• Test Security Regularly: Simulations can help employees stay on their toes.
• Keep Software Updated: Out of date software gives hackers a platform for further attacks.

What to Do If You Suspect a Phishing Email

If something smells fishy (pun totally intended), don’t take the bait. Here’s what to do:

1. Don’t Click Anything: Seriously, hands off the mouse.
2. Verify the Source: Reach out directly to the company or person through official channels.
3. Report It: Let your IT team or email provider know.
4. Delete It: Get it out of your inbox.

We are sure you’ve read all this before. So why are we spreading old news?

FACT: In 2025, over 85% of successful data breaches or cyber attacks will begin with a phishing email.

No one is immune. Humans are the first line of defence against phishing attacks - and often, a human is the weakest link. Scammers rely on mistakes, distractions, and fear to get through.

The good news is that people can be trained to spot the signs of a dodgy email. With the right cyber awareness training and phishing simulations, your team can turn into a strong, and informed defence. Add to that robust security tools like high-quality anti-virus software and email filters, and your business will be better prepared to handle whatever cyber threats come its way.

We’re here to help you build that kind of resilience. Our Managed IT plans include the necessary tools as standard.

1. Email Security
2. Employee security awareness training
3. Phishing simulations
4. A great team to back you and the team up.

Please get in touch for a free conversation about how our service can help you defend your business against threats and risks today.