Deep Dive: Recognising Phishing Emails

Phishing emails are designed to look legitimate, but there are tell-tale signs:

• Urgency and threats: "Act now or your account will be closed!" - Creates panic to bypass rational thinking
• Generic greeting: "Dear Customer" or "Dear User" instead of your actual name
• Suspicious links: Hover over links to see real URL (amaz0n.com vs amazon.com - note the zero!)
• Spelling/grammar errors: Professional companies proofread their communications
• Requests for sensitive info: Banks NEVER ask for passwords, PINs, or full card numbers via email
• Mismatched sender address: Display name says "PayPal" but email is from @paypa1-security.ru
• Unexpected attachments: Especially .exe, .zip, or macros in documents

The golden rule: If in doubt, don't click! Contact the organisation directly using official contact details (not the details in the suspicious email).