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4 Easy Steps to Detect a Phishing Email

How To Detect a Phishing Email?

Email phishing is one of the most common types of cyber crime and users are still being caught out far too often. Cyber criminals are becoming sneakier and are launching more sophisticated attacks, so knowing how to spot a phishing email is increasingly important. Use the below helpful steps to prevent becoming a successful target:

Step 1: After reading an email, stop, pause and think before taking any further action.

“Think before you click!”

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Did the email contain any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors?
  • Did the sender ask you to take immediate or urgent action?
  • Did the sender use threatening language? E.g., threaten to terminate or suspend services?
  • Is the email addressed to a generic recipient e.g. Dear customer?
  • Did the sender request any personal information?
  • Did the email require you to click on a link or open an attachment?

If the answer is ‘YES’ to any of the above, then it could be a phishing attack!

Step 2: Check the sender’s email address.

Firstly, reputable companies would never send an email from a public email domain like Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail. This should ring immediate alarm bells and you should not proceed any further.

Example: [email protected]

Secondly, scammers can quickly and easily set up domains and email addresses similar to trustworthy businesses. If you are unsure if the sender’s email address is correct, compare it to previous email you have received which you know to be genuine, or go directly to the website via a web browser to check that the domain name is correct. If there are even slight variations, this is a sure sign it’s a scam.

Example: [email protected]

The address after the @ symbol is the important part and should match the website address. In this example it does not match. The correct address is PayPal.com. At first glance, you may not notice so this is why you have to look carefully for differences.

Step 3: Check any hyperlinks.

If the email contains a link to click, hover over it and it will show you the web address where the link is taking you. If the website address looks suspicious and is not from the correct domain, do not click it under any circumstances. This could take you to a fraudulent website or sneakily download malicious viruses onto your computer, which could steal sensitive information or corrupt files.

Step 4: Be Wary of Unusual Attachments

Attachments can be infected with malware and viruses which cause serious harm to computer systems and small businesses. Never open an attachment unless you are confident that the sender is legitimate. If you are still unsure, contact the sender in a different way to confirm the attachment is ok to open.

If you take the above steps with every email you receive, you will become savvy in spotting all the warning signs. Businesses should ensure all employees are educated in how to spot a phishing email and receive at least some cyber security training to prevent successful attacks.

Additional email security protection is also essential to prevent emails from reaching your inbox in the first place.  

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