How to Spot a Phishing Email

Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information. With 3.4 billion fake emails sent per day, it’s important to ensure you don’t fall victim! Phishing attempts have increased by more than 660% since March 1, 2020. These statistics are huge! Clearly, people need to be more aware of how to spot a phishing email. We’ve put together a list of ways to identify a phishing scam. Are you ready to find out?  

Spelling & Grammar Errors 

Hackers may be sneaky but they tend to leave plenty of spelling and grammar errors in their emails which makes it easier for people to identify it’s a scam. Any business will proofread and ensure there are no mistakes in their emails before sending. So, if you see a number of spelling mistakes it’s most likely a scam. 

Malicious Links 

Hackers tend to put malicious links in the body of the email. In order to tell if it’s a malicious link, hover over and inspect each one before clicking into it. By clicking on the links, you may accidentally install a virus. Always be cautious!  

Email Address 

Check the email address and see if it’s legit. Most of the time you can tell if it’s a phishing scam as the email address will consist of loads of random letters and numbers. Hackers try and trick you by using the name of a company in their email. If you’re unsure, research the email of the company.  

File Attachment 

Watch out for file attachments! People unknowingly would open the attachments, but you need to be super careful! The file attachment could contain a malicious URL or trojan, resulting in an installation of a virus. Before opening any attachments, be sure the email is legit!  

Urgent Messages 

Phishing emails are aimed to make you panic. The scammer wants to create urgency so you have no time to second guess it. Look out for messages like ‘your account has been compromised, you must verify it now, please log in’, or ‘please enter your card details for your PayPal account now before it expires’. Always take your time and never rush giving your details. 

Conclusion… 

With more than 80% of reported cyberattacks being phishing, it’s important to raise awareness of the threat of them and how to identify them. Next time you receive a suspicious email, be sure to check the points we’ve covered and always remember to take your time, not rush giving your details away and delete the email. Feel free to get in touch with a team member today to discuss how our services can help you remain cyber secure.