Phishing emails try to trick you into giving away personal information. This guide shows you how to recognise them and what to do if you think you\u2019ve clicked something dodgy.<\/p>\n
Phishing attacks usually come as emails, but can also be texts or phone calls. They pretend to be from legitimate organisations \u2013 your bank, a shop you use, even your boss! The goal is always the same: steal your login details, credit card numbers, or other sensitive data.<\/p>\n
Suspicious Sender Address: Check the full email address, not just the name. Does it match the organisation they claim to be from? Look for misspellings or unusual domains (e.g., bankofengland.ru instead of bankofengland.co.uk).
\nGeneric Greetings: Phishing emails often use \u201cDear Customer\u201d rather than your name. Legitimate companies usually personalise their messages.
\nUrgent Requests: They\u2019ll try to create a sense of panic \u2013 \u201cYour account will be closed if you don\u2019t act now!\u201d or \u201cImmediate action required\u201d.
\nPoor Grammar and Spelling: While some phishing emails are very well-written, many contain errors.
\nLinks That Don\u2019t Match: Hover over links *without clicking* to see where they actually lead. The URL should match the organisation\u2019s website. In most email clients you can do this by hovering your mouse over the link and looking at the preview in the bottom left corner of the screen.
\nAttachments You Weren\u2019t Expecting: Be very careful opening attachments, especially from unknown senders. They could contain viruses or malware.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re unsure about a link, use an online URL checker. These tools show you the real destination of a shortened link without having to click it.<\/p>\n
URLVoid: https:\/\/www.urlvoid.com<\/a> You can also use the command line to check a URL\u2019s reputation:<\/p>\n nslookup example.com<\/p>\n This shows you the IP address associated with the domain, which can sometimes reveal suspicious activity.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t Click Anything: Seriously, don\u2019t click any links or open attachments. NCSC Phishing Guidance: https:\/\/www.ncsc.gov.uk\/guidance\/phishing<\/a> The post Spotting Phishing Emails: A User Guide<\/a> appeared first on Blog | G5 Cyber Security<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TL;DR Phishing emails try to trick you into giving away personal information. This guide shows you how to recognise them and what to do if you think you\u2019ve clicked something dodgy. 1. Understanding Phishing Phishing attacks usually come as emails, but can also be texts or phone calls. They pretend to be from legitimate organisations […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5999"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5999\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nVirusTotal: https:\/\/www.virustotal.com\/gui\/home\/upload<\/a> (can also scan attachments)<\/p>\n4. What To Do If You Suspect Phishing<\/h2>\n
\nReport It: Forward the email to your organisation\u2019s IT security team (if applicable). Many banks and companies have dedicated phishing reporting addresses (check their website). You can also report it to the National Cyber Security Centre<\/a>.
\nChange Your Passwords: If you think you might have entered your login details, change your passwords immediately \u2013 especially for important accounts like banking and email.
\nScan Your Device: Run a full scan with your antivirus software to check for malware.<\/p>\n5. Resources<\/h2>\n
\nTake the Phishing Quiz (NCSC): https:\/\/www.ncsc.gov.uk\/cyberaware\/test-your-awareness<\/a><\/p>\n