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What is a phishing email?
A phishing email pretends to come from a company or person you trust, so that you hand over a password, card details or money.
How phishing works
The sender copies the look of a real company: its logo, its colours, its tone. The email gives you a reason to act quickly, such as a locked account, a missed parcel, an unpaid invoice or a refund. The link in it leads to a copy of the real login page. Whatever you type there goes to the scammer.
The name comes from fishing. The email is the bait, and it is sent to millions of people in the hope that a few will bite.
What a phishing email looks like
Most of them share the same five warning signs.
PayPal Support <[email protected]>1
Your account has been limited
Dear customer,2
We noticed unusual activity and have limited your account. Confirm your identity within 24 hours or your account will be permanently closed.3
Confirm my account4 http://paypal.account-verify-center.com/login
You will be asked for your password and card number5 to restore access.
- The address is not the company’sThe name says PayPal, the address ends in a domain PayPal does not own.
- It does not know your nameCompanies you have an account with usually address you by name.
- It gives you a deadline and a threatPressure is meant to stop you from thinking it over.
- The button leads somewhere elseThe link contains “paypal” but goes to a different website.
- It asks for a password or cardNo real company asks you to confirm these through an email link.
The forms it usually takes
Your account is locked
A bank, PayPal, Apple or Netflix supposedly limited your account. You must sign in through the link to restore it.
A parcel could not be delivered
USPS, UPS or DHL supposedly needs an address confirmation or a small fee. The fee page collects your card number.
An invoice or renewal you never ordered
A receipt for an antivirus or tech support subscription, with a phone number to call to cancel. The person on the phone asks for remote access to your computer or for your bank details.
A document is waiting for your signature
A file shared through DocuSign, Microsoft or Google, which asks you to sign in with your email password first.
Your boss needs a favour
A short note from a manager’s name asking you to buy gift cards or change bank details for a payment. The address behind the name is not the company’s.
Someone claims to have recorded you
An email that says your device was hacked and demands payment in Bitcoin. It may show an old password of yours taken from a data leak. Nothing was recorded.
Phishing and spam are not the same
| Spam | Phishing | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Sell you something | Steal your login, card or money |
| Sender | Usually says who it is | Pretends to be someone you trust |
| Risk | Annoying | Can cost you money or your accounts |
| What to do | Mark as spam | Do not click, report as phishing, delete |
What to do when you get one
- Do not click links or open attachments, and do not call numbers given in the email.
- If you are unsure, open the company’s website or app yourself and look at your account there.
- Report it as phishing in your mail app, then delete it.
- Not sure whether it is real? Paste it into the free check.