Every day, 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent out to the world. All it takes is one misclick and it’s game over for your computer and even your entire network!
What is a phishing email? It’s a type of social engineering where fraudsters pretend to be someone they’re not. The goal is to get you to reveal sensitive information without any actual hacking.
As you can see, this makes everything in your inbox scary. But if you know how to spot phishing emails, then there’s a lower chance of clicking on something you shouldn’t.
Below, we’ll show 5 signs of phishing emails you should watch out for.
1. The Email Comes From a Strange or Public Email Domain
Cybercriminals are getting very good at crafting emails that look identical to ones organizations send out, like PayPal and Netflix. So at first glance, everything might seem in order, and you’ll want to click on the buttons in the email body.
However, take an extra moment to examine where the email’s coming from. The name might say “Support” or “PayPalSupport”, but what comes after “@”? If it’s anything but the name of the organization, then it’s a phishing email.
No legitimate business will send emails from @gmail.com or other obscure URLs; they’ll have their own domain.
2. There Are Misspellings and Grammar Mistakes
Hackers won’t be able to get the exact domain name as legit organizations. So they’ll be tricky and use slight misspellings to imitate those well-known names. They’re banking on you barely giving the email lines a second glance, so don’t fall victim to this.
Some examples of possible misspellings include “Microsft” and “Netf1ix”. They’ll also replace a lowercase m with r and n. On a tiny smartphone screen, you probably won’t even detect these misspellings!
Also, check out the body text itself. Chances are, there are misspelled words everywhere. The grammar can be off too, and the syntax might be strange as well.
In the past, fraudsters did this on purpose to weed out smarter recipients. If you’re unable to pick up on these mistakes, then there’s a higher chance you’re easier to fool. This made it easier for them to continue the con once the recipients responded.
However, phishing approaches changed, and nowadays, email text is usually flawless.
But you’ll still run across poorly put-together emails since many cybercriminals don’t speak English as their first language. They’ll run their text through a translator, which results in awkward syntax and uncaught typos. So be on the lookout for these still!
3. The Email’s Not Personalized
It’s true that big companies send out mass emails, but it’s easy to personalize them. There are codes and tags they can use that’ll ensure their emails greet their loyal customers by name.
Fraudsters won’t have this data on hand, so they have no choice but to start their emails with something generic, such as “Dear customer”. So if you’re a long-time client and a business doesn’t address you by name, that’s a red flag.
4. There Are Suspicious Links and Attachments
Remember: the goal of phishing attempts is to obtain sensitive data from you. This means hackers will embed suspicious links and attachments so when you click them, 2 things can happen:
- You download a malicious file that infects your device
- You see a “legitimate” site where you’ll input credentials
Even if you’re sure an email’s legit, don’t click on things immediately. Hover your cursor over the links and see what URLs they go to. Typically, suspicious links will have a string of random letters and numbers.
As for files, if you weren’t expecting anything, don’t click on them. Instead, contact the sender (whether that’s a business or your coworker) to see if they indeed sent you something. Only click on the files if you receive confirmation.
5. There’s a Sense of Urgency
If you’re calm and collected, you’ll be able to take an extra moment to closely examine the emails for the things we mentioned above. Fraudsters know this, so their way around this is to create a sense of urgency.
For example, they might claim your account’s been compromised and you need to change your password now. When you open an email with that content, chances are, you’ll immediately go and change your password to keep your account safe.
And the quickest way to do that is to click on the login page they’ve conveniently linked for you in the email…except it leads to a fake page! When you type in your credentials, it’ll send them straight to the cybercriminal.
If you do receive an email like this, the best action is to open a tab and type in the URL yourself. That way, you’re 100% sure you’re on the right page.
How to Avoid the Dangers of Phishing Emails
You now know the top signs of phishing emails, but what can you do to protect yourself? Obviously, you should follow the above tips; don’t open these shady emails, much less click anything inside them.
However, cybercriminals are always getting smarter. Some day, it’ll be near impossible to recognize phishing emails (some would argue that day’s already here!).
An excellent way to fight against phishing is to work with a third-party managed IT company, such as The Scarlett Group. These professionals are expertly trained and experienced, plus they bring the best technology to the table. With them safeguarding your data, hackers won’t stand a chance.
Know How to Spot Phishing Emails Like a Pro
When you know how to spot phishing emails, you’ll protect your sensitive information more effectively.
But because hackers are always getting smarter, it’s important to stay on top of the latest trends. And with the help of a professional, you can!
Just remember to never let your guard down. After all, it only takes 1 successful attempt for a fraudster to infiltrate your network. So stay vigilant!
For more about internet security, have a look at our other blog articles now.