Scam library
How to spot a phishing email
The five-second check that catches most scam emails before you click.
Short answer
A phishing email pretends to come from someone you trust so you'll click a link, open a file or hand over details. Checking the sender, the pressure and the request catches most of them.
How it works
Phishing is an email pretending to be someone you trust so you'll click, sign in, pay or download something. It's the most common way small businesses get broken into, because it skips every firewall and goes straight to a person.
The good news: almost every phishing email gives itself away. You don't need to be technical to spot one. You just need to slow down for five seconds before you act.
The five-second check
Before you click a link, open an attachment or reply with anything sensitive, ask yourself:
- Who actually sent this? Look at the full address, not just the display name.
- Was I expecting it? Surprise invoices, password warnings and parcels are the classics.
- Is it rushing me? Deadlines and threats are there to stop you thinking.
- Where does the link really go? Hover over it (or press and hold on a phone) to see the address.
- Is it asking for something unusual? Money, codes, passwords or secrecy.
When it's someone you know
Scammers often send from a real account they've broken into, so a message from a coworker or client can still be fake. If the request feels out of character, check with them another way: a call, a chat message, or walking over to their desk.
Red flags
- The sender's address doesn't match the company it claims to be from.
- Urgency, threats or a deadline measured in hours.
- Links that go somewhere different from what the text says.
- Requests for passwords, payment or codes by email.
What to do
If an email fails the five-second check, don't click anything. Report it with the Report button in your email, or forward it to your IT provider, then delete it.
This page is taken from the 3 minute NetMinder lesson staff see straight after clicking a practice email about this scam.