An employee clicks a link in a seemingly harmless email. Within minutes, your company’s network is compromised, leading to data breaches and financial loss. This scenario is not just a possibility. It actually is a daily reality for businesses worldwide, with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) receiving reports of adjusted losses exceeding USD 12.5 billion in 2023 alone, a significant portion of which stems from phishing attacks.
Learning how to spot a phishing email therefore is a critical business skill for everyone in your organization. This is why we have compiled the five most common telltale signs of a malicious email. By understanding these warning signs, you and your team can become the first and most effective line of defense against email fraud, ensuring your operations remain secure and seamless
In this article
- What is phishing?
- Why phishing is a growing problem
- Sign 1: Unfamiliar sender details and generic greetings
- Sign 2: Urgent requests and threatening language
- Sign 3: Suspicious links and attachments
- Sign 4: Poor grammar and unprofessional design
- Sign 5: Unexpected requests for sensitive information
- How to prevent phishing emails and protect your organization
What is phishing?
Pronounced just like "fishing," the term “phishing” refers to a cybercrime where attackers attempt to lure individuals into giving up sensitive data. They "fish" for your information using deceptive emails, messages, and websites that appear to be from legitimate and trustworthy sources, such as banks, software companies like Microsoft, or even your own company’s support department.
The danger escalates with more targeted forms of this attack. While a standard phishing email is cast wide, hoping anyone will bite, spear phishing is a much more calculated and dangerous attack. In a spear phishing attempt, cybercriminals research their target—your company or specific employees—to craft a highly personalized and convincing message. This email might reference a recent project, name-drop a colleague, or use other specific details to build a false sense of trust.
Why phishing is a growing problem
Phishing remains one of the most effective tools for cybercriminals because it targets the human element, exploiting trust and urgency to bypass even the most advanced security software. The sophistication of these attacks is constantly evolving, making them harder to detect.
The ultimate goals of attackers
The ultimate goal of these cybercriminals is to steal valuable assets. This could be:
- Direct theft of money from corporate accounts
- Harvesting employee login credentials to gain access to your network
- Stealing personal identity information for fraudulent activities
- Installing ransomware, which can encrypt your company's data and hold it hostage for a hefty ransom
A persistent and growing challenge
The threat is a constant and growing challenge for IT professionals. Phishing attempts have become the primary method for initiating a wide range of cyber attacks. Their high success rate and low cost for attackers mean they will remain a persistent threat to enterprises of all sizes, making employee education a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity.
In today's landscape of hybrid and remote work, the reliance on digital communication has skyrocketed. This increased email traffic provides a larger attack surface for cybercriminals. Every employee, from the C-suite to the front lines, is a potential target. A single successful phishing attack can compromise your entire infrastructure, disrupt operations, and damage your company's reputation.
The good news: while phishing emails are becoming more sophisticated, there are still common red flags that can help you identify and avoid them.
Sign 1: Unfamiliar sender details and generic greetings
One of the first and most important checks is to scrutinize the sender's email address. Cybercriminals are masters of deception and often use addresses that are subtly different from legitimate ones. For example, an email might appear to be from Microsoft, but the sender's address could be ‘[email protected]’ instead of an official domain. Look for slight misspellings, extra characters, or the use of numbers to replace letters.
Do not be fooled by a familiar display name. It is simple for an attacker to make the sender's name appear as "IT Support" or "John Smith," but the actual email address behind it may be a random string of characters from a free email provider. Always expand the sender details to reveal the full address. If the display name and the email address do not align or if the domain seems suspicious, treat the message with extreme caution.
Another significant warning sign is a generic greeting. Legitimate companies you do business with will almost always address you by your name. If you receive an email that starts with a vague salutation like "Dear Valued Customer," "Hello User," or "Attention Account Holder," it is a strong indicator that the message is part of a mass phishing campaign and not a personalized communication.
Consider common Microsoft phishing email examples. An attacker might send an email with the subject "Action Required: Your Office 365 Account" that begins with "Dear user." A real notification from Microsoft would typically address you by the name associated with your account. This lack of personalization is a clear red flag that the content is not authentic.
Sign 2: Urgent requests and threatening language
Phishing emails frequently rely on psychological manipulation, and one of the most effective tactics is creating a false sense of urgency. The message is crafted to make you feel like you must act immediately without thinking. You might see subject lines like "Your Account Has Been Suspended" or "Urgent Security Alert." This language is designed to trigger a panic response, bypassing your rational judgment.
This tactic works because it pressures you into making a hasty decision. The cybercriminal wants you to click a malicious link or provide sensitive information before you have a chance to question the email's legitimacy. They create a problem—like a supposed account lockout or an unauthorized transaction—and then offer a quick, easy "solution" that actually leads you into their trap.
There are many phishing email examples that use this technique.
- An email might claim that a critical invoice is overdue and threatens late fees if not paid within the hour.
- Another common scam is a message pretending to be from your IT department, stating that your account will be deleted if you do not verify your credentials immediately.
These threats are almost always fabricated. The best defense against this tactic is to pause and think. No legitimate organization will demand immediate action via email for such critical matters or threaten you with severe consequences without prior notice. If you receive a message that creates a sense of panic, take a deep breath. Verify the request by contacting the supposed sender through an official channel, such as their website or a known phone number, not by using the contact information provided in the suspicious email.
Sign 3: Suspicious links and attachments
A core component of nearly every phishing attack is a malicious link or attachment. The email content will try to persuade you to click on something, whether it is a button that says "Verify Your Account" or a hyperlink promising more information. However, these links do not lead to legitimate websites. A crucial skill for how to spot a phishing email is to inspect links before you click.
- On a desktop computer, you can hover your mouse cursor over any link to see its true destination URL in the bottom corner of your browser or email client.
- If the URL that appears is different from the anchor text, or if it points to a strange, non-official domain, do not click it.
- Attackers often use URL shorteners to hide the final destination, so any shortened link from an unknown sender should be considered highly suspicious.
Attachments are another common delivery method for malware. An email may contain a seemingly harmless file, such as a PDF invoice, a Word document receipt, or a ZIP file with "important documents." Opening this attachment can execute malicious code that installs ransomware, spyware, or other viruses onto your system, compromising your device and potentially your entire network.
These malicious links often lead to sophisticated credential harvesting pages designed to look identical to legitimate login portals for services like Microsoft 365 or your company's VPN. Unsuspecting users enter their username and password, effectively handing their credentials directly to the cybercriminals.
The golden rule is simple: never click on unexpected links or open unsolicited attachments. Instead, manually type the official website address into your browser to log in or check for notifications.
Sign 4: Poor grammar and unprofessional design
While cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, a surprising number of phishing emails are still riddled with errors. Obvious spelling mistakes, poor grammar, and awkward or unnatural phrasing are major red flags. Legitimate companies invest significant resources into their communications and have teams of professionals who review content before it is sent to customers. An email full of errors is unlikely to come from a real corporation.
Beyond the text, pay close attention to the overall design and visual quality of the email. Phishing attempts often feature low-resolution or pixelated logos that have been copied from the internet. The email's layout might be inconsistent, with strange formatting, mismatched fonts, or colors that do not align with the company's official branding. These visual discrepancies are a clear warning sign.
Think about the official emails you receive from your bank, a major software provider, or other trusted partners. They are typically well-designed, polished, and consistent with the company's branding across all its platforms. A phishing email, by contrast, often looks like a cheap imitation because that is exactly what it is. The content may be copied, but the execution is usually flawed.
Do not dismiss these small details. While some may argue that attackers make these errors intentionally to weed out more discerning targets, they are more often a sign of a hastily assembled, fraudulent campaign. If an email looks and reads unprofessionally, it is safe to assume it is not legitimate. Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.
Sign 5: Unexpected requests for sensitive information
This is one of the most definitive signs of a phishing attack. Legitimate organizations, especially banks, government agencies, and tech companies, will never ask you to provide sensitive information like your password, social security number, or full credit card details via email. Their security policies strictly prohibit this practice, as email is not a secure channel for transmitting such data.
Phishing emails are designed specifically to trick you into violating this rule. The message might create a convincing pretext, such as needing you to "verify your account details for a security update" or "confirm your billing information to avoid service interruption." The goal is to direct you to a fake form where you willingly enter the very information the attackers want to steal.
These fraudulent requests often target high-value accounts. For example, an attacker might try to steal your Microsoft account credentials to gain access to your company's entire suite of applications, including email and cloud storage. Similarly, they might target financial accounts to steal money directly. The request is always framed as a necessary and routine procedure to lower your guard.
If you ever receive an email asking for this type of information, you should immediately recognize it as a phishing attempt. Do not reply, click any links, or provide any data. The correct course of action is to delete the message. If you are concerned that there might be a legitimate issue with your account, navigate to the company's official website yourself and log in directly or call their official support number to inquire.
How to prevent phishing emails and protect your organization
Recognizing the five signs—suspicious senders, urgent language, malicious links, poor quality, and requests for sensitive data—is the foundation of your defense. A key part of learning how to spot a phishing email is complementing user education with robust technical safeguards, such as deploying secure remote access and support solutions that protect your connections. Vigilance, supported by the right technology, is your most powerful tool.
Beyond individual awareness, your organization should implement a multi-layered security strategy. This includes deploying advanced email security filters to block malicious messages before they reach an inbox, conducting regular cybersecurity training for all employees, and enforcing the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all accounts. When you do receive a suspicious message, use the built-in tools in your email client to report phishing email, which helps improve the filters for everyone.
At TeamViewer, we are committed to empowering your world from anywhere through seamless and secure collaboration. Protecting your digital environment from threats like phishing is essential to maintaining the effortless connectivity that drives modern business. By fostering a culture of security awareness and equipping your team with the knowledge to identify and prevent these attacks, you can ensure that your remote and hybrid workflows remain both productive and protected.