Employees should know phishing email analysis. By doing so, your organization can avoid falling into the trap of scams and virus intrusions, needlessly.
Phishing Email Analysis
Here are ways on how you can spot phishing emails.
1. The email address is very different from the sender.
Usually, the sender uses a fake email address when sending phishing emails. So, if it’s a legitimate business transaction, the sender will use their official email address.
2. The email address is in a weird format.
Fake emails usually have a weird format. For example, it will have letters and numbers mixed up. Also, the email address will be long and hard to read. In addition, the fake email address will be: [email protected]
3. The email address is too good to be true.
Phishing emails usually use a very believable and legit-looking email address. If you think it’s too good to be true, then it probably is!
4. The sender is asking for confidential information.
If an email asks for confidential information such as login IDs, passwords, security questions and answers, credit card information, bank account information, and other sensitive information, it’s a phishing email. Legitimate businesses do not ask for this personal information through email. They only collect it in person.
If you receive an email that asks for your personal information, don’t reply or click on any of the links in the email. Delete the email immediately.
5. The sender is pressuring you to respond immediately.
Phishing emails will usually pressure you to click on a link and respond quickly. It may also demand urgent action from you. Legitimate businesses will not pressure you to respond immediately. They understand that confirming your email address or answering a question in a survey may take a while to accomplish.
If a company is pressuring you to respond urgently, it’s a scam! Delete the email and report it to your IT department.
6. The language in the email is too blunt and awkward.
Legitimate companies will try to be polite, respectful, and professional in their emails. In addition to that, they will not use aggressive words such as “immediately”, “urgent”, “fraud”, “confirm” and many others in their emails because these words are too harsh for business transactions.
Phishing emails usually use these words in their emails because they want to scare you into responding immediately without reading any further into the email.
7. There’s a sense of urgency in the email.
Phishing emails usually create a sense of urgency to get you to open them and respond immediately. When you receive an email from a company you do business with, there’s usually no sense of urgency. Legitimate businesses will send you several reminders if you don’t respond. They won’t pressure you to respond immediately.
Phishing emails usually have a sense of urgency to get you to open them and respond immediately. When you receive an email from a company you do business with, there’s usually no sense of urgency. Legitimate businesses will send you several reminders if you don’t respond. They won’t pressure you to respond immediately.
