Email phishing is the biggest danger you face online and it’s meant to steal passwords, credit cards, and other personal information.
They tend to pretend to be email from reputable parties, forcing people to provide their data.
Phishing attacks are becoming increasingly widespread, with hackers resorting to advanced methods to trick even the most wary internet users.
As per Egress’ Email Security Risk Report 2024, 94% of organizations experienced phishing and 96% of those were adversely affected.
These shocking figures serve as a stark reminder of how we must be alert and take steps to block and report phishing attacks.
If you know the hints of phishing emails, you can keep yourself and others safe from cyber scammers.
Recognizing Phishing Emails
Phishing emails have certain features that you can recognize as a scam.
A couple of common symptoms are the following:
Generic Greetings
In phishing emails, you will see generic messages like “Dear Customer” or “Dear User” and the fact that it doesn’t address you individually implies that the email was unpersonalized.
This trick is designed by fraudsters who aim to catch as many people as they can.
Urgent Language
Scammers make the process feel urgent with the statements “take action,” or they’ll get you suspended, attacked, or something scary.
This strategy nudges the victim into snap decisions that risk breaking their personal or financial data.
Suspicious Sender Addresses
Email fraud typically comes from an address almost exactly like the real one (a couple of additional letters or numbers, or a change of domain name, such as “@amazonn.com” instead of “@amazon.com”) so look closely at the email address to be sure there is no obvious anomaly.
Misspellings and Grammar Mistakes
Authentic organizations usually write in the strictest of sentences, so grammar errors, typos, and poor sentence structure are all telltale signs that the message came from a conman or amateur writer.
Calls for Information (Personal Data)
You should also be cautious when you receive an email request for personal information such as your social security number, login or credit card numbers.
Any good business will never ask for this sort of information by email, so this kind of request is pretty much always a scam.
Unexpected Attachments or Links
If a particular email is full of irrelevant or unknown attachments or links, you’ll want to be extra careful.
When hovering over links, it’s also useful to see what the link goes to instead of clicking on it.
How to Report Phishing Emails
Reporting phishing emails is the best strategy for stopping cyber thieves and keeping others safe.
Here’s how to report shady emails effectively:
Do Not Click
Never click links or download attachments from suspected phishing emails.
These might redirect you to harmful websites or download unwanted programs onto your computer that can harm your private or confidential information.
Mark as Spam
Check for your email service’s “Mark as Spam” or “Report as Phishing” option. This helps your email provider spot these phishing scams so that you won’t accidentally get in others inboxes.
Forward to Authorities
Forward the phishing email to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org.
The group collects, analyses, and helps counter the phishing attacks by educating authorities and spreading awareness about emerging phishing practices.
Notify IT Departments
Should you receive a phishing email at work or school, report it to the IT team right away.
Quick notification gives them the ability to take immediate measures to secure the systems of the organization, alert other employees and mitigate any attacks.
How to Defend Yourself from Phishing Attacks?
In addition to reporting phishing emails, proactively doing the following can also strengthen your defense against phishing:
Use Security Software
Install and update antivirus and anti-malware protection software on a regular basis to keep your computers safe from threats, phishing and security issues.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
Create two-factor authentication for your accounts or more, so that anyone trying to access them will be hard-pressed.
Backup Data Regularly
Keeping backups of critical information in an external drive or on a cloud is to protect your information against data breaches through phishing or ransomware attacks.
Verify Contacts
Always check the identity of the sender by reaching them through official sources, like their website or phone number, before opening spam emails.
What To Do If You Get Victimized.
If you do get hit by a phishing email, do the following immediately to limit your damage:
Change Passwords
Setup new passwords for all potentially infected accounts. Select unique passwords for all your accounts and add two-factor authentication for added protection. This also prevents unauthorized access.
Run Security Scans
Perform a thorough virus scan with your antivirus to remove any malicious software that might have been downloaded.
Always keep your antivirus up to date and run scans on a regular basis to stay on top of everything.
Monitor Financial Accounts
Check bank statements, credit card and credit reports for unusual or illegal activity. You can also configure alerts on your accounts to receive real-time notifications of fraudulent payments.
Report the Incident
Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online to report the phishing or identity theft. Go to IdentityTheft.gov to learn the recommended procedures for identity theft recovery and information security.
Education is Key
Learning about phishing can make the web a safer place to be.
Sharing the truth and reporting scams are both important actions for preventing cybercrime.
Keep Updated to Stay Safe
The in-depth awareness of internet users can make a difference.
You are in the lead if you update your security on a regular basis and keep up with the most recent phishing schemes.
Suppose you receive an email from your bank, purporting to be from them, asking you to verify your account information.
The email might look legit, but upon examination, there are minor spelling errors and a suspicious sender.
When you are alert to these warning signs, you will be more protected from the con.
Pass It On To Friends and Family
Moreover, by talking about phishing threats to your friends and relatives it makes people around you more vigilant.
Encourage them to apply the same security prevention and reporting practices to spread the security knowledge.
Phishing schemes come with fast paced change and the workings of online communities can considerably reduce their success rate.
Increasing Workplace Safety
Organizations are also important to the war against phishing.
They will need to schedule regular training to keep workers informed on the latest scams.
IT groups need to use email filtering policies and create a sense of security culture.
Workers shouldn’t feel apprehensive in sharing emails they believe are suspect without fear of reprisal or punishment.
Education on Cyber Security in Schools
Cybersecurity needs to be taught at school from the outset.
Making your students aware of the threat of phishing and protecting personal information is an ideal preparation for the future.
Through fun and interactive sessions, schools can incorporate these lessons in the school curriculum.
Government and Industry Partnerships
At a more macro level, governments and regulators can aid anti-phishing by providing policies, public education and collaboration with technology providers.
They can build central reporting capabilities so that victims can simply report phishing attacks.
All these together make the internet safer, discourage cyber criminals and help keep the successful phishing scams in check.
Learn About the Recent Phishing Threats and Cybersecurity Measures
You also have to remember, the knowledge exchange is not finished.
Always visit reliable sites for the latest information on phishing and cyber protection.
Subscribe to the newsletters from well-respected security firms, and stay connected with online groups related to digital safety.
Proactive online security habits are the safety net of you and your fellows.
Phishing emails are a nightmare but, with the right knowledge and habits, you can drastically cut your vulnerability.
Stay on top of it and report bogus emails immediately, and don’t wait for anyone to do the same.
We can create a safer online world together, report by report.
