How to Spot the Signs of a Phishing Email

Spot the Signs of a Phishing Email

Did you know that 30% of American email users open phishing emails?

The result of this is that the majority of successful cyberattacks turn out to have been started by phishing emails. As a business owner, these facts should raise red flags for you. It’s essential that you teach your employees and coworkers the most common signs of phishing. With robust employee training in this area, you can prevent severe cybersecurity attacks from compromising your company and costing you upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In the following article, we will outline the best ways to spot a phishing email. But first, let’s define this term.

What Is a Phishing Email?

The easiest and fastest way for many hackers and cybercriminals to access your data and networks is by obtaining employee user credentials, which will freely let them into your systems. These criminals can obtain this information by tricking your employees into either directly handing over their user credentials (logins, passwords, employee numbers, etc.) or tricking them into inadvertently downloading malware, which will compromise your system and give them free access.

The way they do this is with phishing emails. A phishing email is a type of online scam. For example, in a phishing email scam, an email might be sent to one of your employees, asking them to “update” their employee login. If the employee hands over the information freely, your system has been compromised. Other tricks include asking employees to click on links, download files, or give up additional sensitive information.

How Can You Spot a Phishing Email?

Here are the top signs that you’re dealing with a phishing email.

1. A suspicious sender

Check to see that you know the sender. If you don’t, is the domain a legitimate one? Have you heard of it before?

2. An ask to click on links or attachments

Don’t click on any links or attachments you find suspicious. If the sender is asking you to click on a link or attachment, ask yourself why. If you have your doubts, do not click.

3. A suspicious subject line

Bizarre subject line? Phishing emails often come with subject lines that make wild claims. For example, the subject might say that your bank account has been compromised, that you’ve won something outlandish, or that someone you know is in trouble.

4. Questions about the content

Within the email, look for some other common signs of a phishing scam. These signs may include bad spelling, bad grammar, or odd phrasings such as “Greetings” or “Salutations.”

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