A Guide on How to Identify Phishing Emails

November 14, 2022

by Christian Phillips

Phishing emails have become more prevalent in consumer inboxes compared to authentic sources. Here are a few ways to identify phishing emails and how to report them accordingly.

[Definition]

What are phishing emails? Phishing (fishing) is another form of an online scam executed by spreading emails to consumers. The sender of the email will pretend to be from a well-known source. Phishing emails are also known as social engineering attacks.
What is a social engineering attack? Designed to manipulate consumers into providing sensitive information for financial gain.

Email Addresses:
Cybercriminals will develop email addresses similar to well-known (legitimate) sources such as businesses, colleagues, family, or friends. For example, CustomerService@HomeDepot.com might be changed to Cust0merService@H0meDep0t.c0m.
Examine email addresses before communicating. This should be completed even when you expect an email from a particular source. You can never be too safe.

Common Warning Signs:
Cybercriminals can be highly intuitive with their approach, but here are a few ways to identify those pesky phishing emails.
“Click Here” campaigns often direct consumers to navigate an external link. The content may state, “log in to verify suspicious activity on your account.” You will be prompted to insert banking credentials. The cybercriminal will then record the data and attempt to change passwords, phone numbers, and emails associated with the account to block access.
“Upload” requests can expose more damaging information. A typical request consumers will receive is from cybercriminals posing as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Have you ever received a message similar to this? ““The IRS is now accepting tax returns; attach your W-2 form so we can proceed with this year’s tax filing.” W-2 tax forms produce access to the filer’s name, social security number, and address. In addition, the phishing email can request banking information for the IRS to distribute tax refunds to the corresponding account(s). The IRS phishing email can increase the consumer’s chances of identity theft.

Generic Greetings:
Phishing emails tend to have generic greetings. For example, “Dear sir,” Dear Madam,” “Dear account holder,” “Dear customer,” and “Dear valued customer.” If the sender knows you, they will generally refer to you by name.

Unprofessional Behavior:
It is not uncommon for phishing emails to contain threatening language to persuade consumers to “act out of impulse.” Here is a prime example, “Dear valued customer, if overdue account balances are not paid, we will have no choice but to have you arrested. The issue can be resolved by sending gift cards, wire transfers, reloadable cards, and money transfer apps.” Acclaimed businesses will not threaten consumers, nor will their communications contain spelling errors and poor grammar.

Reporting Phishing Emails:
Cybercriminals make navigating emails substantially more difficult with phishing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accepts reports of potential phishing attempts at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Phishing emails can also be forwarded to reportphishing@apwg.org.

[Final Thoughts]
Unfortunately, phishing emails are here to stay. Consumers must be able to identify the warning signs and question the validity of the source before taking the appropriate course of action. Do not click on external links or provide sensitive information that a third-party source can use for financial gain. When social security numbers, credit cards, or other non-public personal information has been compromised, visit identityTheft.gov and navigate the webpage based on the provided information.

A Guide on How to Identify Phishing Emails

Related Posts

Scam at First Sight: Online Dating

What Is Card Skimming and How Can You Avoid It?

Ways to Secure Your Christmas Presents from Porch Pirates

What You Should Know about Tech Support Scams