How to Spot a Phishing Email: Signs, Examples, and Prevention Tips

Published: February 14, 2025

Phishing emails have become one of the most common ways hackers trick people into handing over sensitive information or downloading malware.

These fake emails often look convincing, mimicking trusted brands or organizations to create a false sense of security. But behind the polished logos and urgent calls to action lies a scam to exploit your trust.

Recognizing a phishing email can be the difference between keeping your data safe and falling victim to identity theft or fraud.

In this article, we’ll break down the most common signs of phishing emails, share real-life phishing attack examples, and provide practical tips to help you stay safe online. Plus, if you’re worried about malware, we’ll show you how to protect your devices.

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Phishing attacks don’t just try to steal your passwords, they could also install malware on your phone.

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What Is a Phishing Email?
How To Identify Phishing Emails
Phishing Email Examples
What to Do If You’ve Fallen for a Phishing Email
Wrapping Up

What Is a Phishing Email?

A phishing email is a deceptive message designed to trick you into sharing sensitive information, like passwords, credit card details, or even access to your bank account.

Hackers often disguise these emails to look like they’re from a trusted source—think banks, popular retailers, or even government agencies—to catch you off guard.

A phishing email’s ultimate goal is to steal your data or get you to download malicious software (malware) onto your device. For example, an email might urge you to “log in” to fix a problem with your account, only to redirect you to a fake website that captures your login credentials.

Types of phishing scams

Phishing attacks can take several forms, including:

Spear phishing: Highly targeted emails aimed at specific individuals or organizations, often using personalized information to appear more convincing.
Whaling: A phishing attack that targets high-profile individuals, such as executives or public figures, to access sensitive corporate information.
Clone phishing: Replicating legitimate emails with slight changes, such as altered links, to trick recipients into following malicious instructions.
Smishing and vishing: Phishing attacks delivered via text messages (smishing) or phone calls (voice phishing) aim to extract sensitive information.
Brand spoofing: Criminals pretend to be from a company or organization you trust, leveraging brand recognition to deceive you. For example, they might send an email with a convincing Google logo, asking you to reset your password. Unsuspecting recipients may click on the link, enter their information, and unknowingly provide it to the hacker via a fake login page.

Despite the various tactics used, most phishing emails share common warning signs that can help you identify and avoid falling victim to them. We’ll explore how to spot these red flags below.

How To Identify Phishing Emails: What to Look Out For

Phishing emails can look convincing but almost always include subtle warning signs. If you know what to look for, you can identify and avoid these scams.

1️⃣ Suspicious email address domains

Phishing emails often come from addresses that look legitimate but include slight variations. For example, a hacker may use @microsaft.com instead of @microsoft.com, hoping you won’t notice the typo. Always double-check the sender’s email domain carefully—especially for unexpected emails.

2️⃣ Lack of personalization

Legitimate companies that know your name will usually address you personally. Be wary of generic greetings like “Dear Customer” or “Dear User.” These impersonal messages are a red flag that the sender may not be who they say they are.

3️⃣ Spelling and grammar errors

While nobody’s perfect, professional companies rarely send emails with typos or poor grammar. Phishing emails often contain these mistakes because they’re created quickly or by non-native speakers. Pay close attention to errors in subject lines, headers, or the email body.

4️⃣ Malicious links

Hackers often disguise malicious links to look trustworthy. For example, a link might say, “Click here to reset your password” but clicking it takes you to a fake website that steals your account credentials.

Here’s how to check the links:

On a computer: Hover your mouse over the link to view the true URL.
On a phone: Press and hold the link to see its destination.

ℹ️ Don’t click a link if it looks suspicious or doesn’t match the sender’s website. For example, the sender claims to be Microsoft, but the link goes to “secure-login-server-micrasoft.xyz/confirm-password”.

5️⃣ Urgency or scare tactics

Cybercriminals often send phishing emails to pressure you to act quickly by creating a sense of urgency. Examples include:

“Your account will be suspended in 24 hours!”
“Unauthorized access detected—log in immediately to secure your account.”

Be cautious of emails that use fear or urgency to manipulate your decisions.

6️⃣ Requests for sensitive information

Legitimate companies will never ask for login credentials, payment information, or personal data via email. If you receive a message asking for this kind of information, it’s likely a scam. Avoid clicking any links or replying to these requests.

7️⃣ Suspicious email signatures

Phishing emails may have incomplete or incorrect signatures. Legitimate businesses include consistent and professional details, such as full contact information or company branding. Be wary of odd formatting or generic sign-offs like “Best regards” without further information.

8️⃣ Strange attachments or images

Phishing emails might contain malicious attachments. Watch out for .ZIP or .RAR files, as they may be hiding malware.

Legitimate companies rarely send unsolicited attachments, especially those with unusual file types. Similarly, poorly designed or low-quality images in an email often indicate a phishing scam.

By recognizing these common red flags, you can better protect yourself from phishing scams. To help you put these tips into practice, let’s look at real-life examples of phishing emails and break down exactly what makes them suspicious.

Phishing Email Examples

Phishing emails come in many forms but often rely on similar tactics to deceive recipients. Below, we break down common types of phishing scams, highlight suspicious elements, and point out that each scam can have multiple variants. Understanding these patterns can help you identify and avoid phishing attacks.

Email account verification or update scam

Source: Facebook

An email claiming to be from your email provider (Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo) urges you to verify your account to avoid suspension.

Generic greeting: “Dear User” instead of your name.
Urgent language: “Failure to comply within 48hrs…”.
Malicious link: The “update” link directs you to a fake login page to steal your credentials.

Advance-fee scams

An email promises a large sum of money (e.g., an inheritance, investment opportunity or lottery winnings) but requires you to pay a fee upfront to claim it.

Too good to be true: You’re promised money for no apparent reason.
Payment request: Asks for a processing fee or banking details upfront.
Suspicious sender: Often includes vague or overly formal titles like “Attorney at Law – John Williams”

Google Docs scam

In this type of phishing attack, you receive an email with a link to view a Google Doc shared by a colleague. The link leads to a fake login page.

Unexpected request: The sender isn’t someone you know or typically collaborate with.
Suspicious link: The URL doesn’t point to Google’s official domain.
Request for credentials: Legitimate Google Docs links don’t require you to log in again if you’re already signed in.

PayPal scam

Source: White Plains Public Safety

Similar to the email update scam above, this email claims there’s an issue with your PayPal account or a suspicious transaction you need to verify.

Urgent tone: “You have 24 hours to solve the problem…”
Mismatched URL: The link leads to a fake PayPal site.
Generic greeting: “Dear PayPal customer” instead of your name.

Dropbox scam

Source: Facebook

In this phishing scam, an email notifies you of a shared file on Dropbox, asking you to click a link to view it.

Unexpected sender: The email is from someone you don’t recognize.
Malicious link: Redirects to a fake Dropbox login page.
Poor formatting: There are extra spaces and inconsistent capitalization in the email body.

Unusual activity scams

Source: Hook Security

An email warns of suspicious login activity on your account and urges you to review it immediately.

Fear-based tactic: “A high-severity alert has been triggered.”
Fake link: This leads to a phishing site that steals your credentials.
Suspicious sender: The email claims to be from Microsoft, but the sender’s email domain is “email-records.com”.

What to Do If You’ve Fallen for a Phishing Email or Suspect Malware

Source: FreePik

Falling for phishing attacks or worrying that malware has infiltrated your device can be unsettling, but taking the proper steps can help you regain control and minimize the damage. Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Change your passwords

If you provided your login details to a phishing site or suspect your account has been compromised, update your passwords immediately.

Start with the compromised accounts and work through other accounts with similar credentials. Use strong, unique passwords for each account, and consider using a password manager like NordPass to simplify this process.

When changing passwords or accessing sensitive accounts, use a secure device—not the one you suspect may be compromised. This prevents potential keyloggers or other malware from capturing your new credentials

Step 2: Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Where available, add 2FA to your accounts. This ensures that even if a hacker has your password, they’ll need a second verification step (like a code sent to your phone) to access your account.

Step 3: Contact your bank or service provider

If you’ve shared financial details, such as credit card or bank account numbers, act fast:

Notify your bank or payment provider of the phishing incident.
Request a freeze on your account or a replacement card if necessary.
Monitor your transactions closely for unauthorized activity.

Step 4: Check for malware on your device

If you clicked on a suspicious link or opened an attachment, your device may have been exposed to malware. Look for signs such as:

Slower performance: Your device becomes unusually slow, struggling to load apps or complete tasks.
Unexpected crashes: Apps or the operating system crashes frequently for no apparent reason.
Unusual pop-ups: You start seeing pop-up ads or warnings, even when not browsing the internet.
Unknown apps or files: Apps appear on your device that you didn’t install, or files you don’t recognize show up.

What to do if you notice these signs

Run a comprehensive malware scan using a trusted security app. Certo is an excellent option for both iPhone and Android devices. It’s designed to:

Detect and remove hidden malware that other tools might miss.
Check if your passwords have been leaked on the dark web.
Monitor your device for suspicious activity to keep it secure.

Once the scan is complete, follow the app’s recommendations for removing malware or quarantining infected files.

Fig 1. Detecting malware with Certo for Android.

How to avoid malware in the future

Phishing scams constantly evolve, but you can significantly reduce your risk by following these best practices:

Enable spam filters on your email service.
Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).
Keep your operating system and apps updated to patch security vulnerabilities.
Avoid downloading apps or files from unverified sources.
Be cautious with email attachments and links, especially from unknown senders.

Check for malware the easy way

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Wrapping Up

Phishing emails are a persistent threat, but with the right knowledge and precautions, you can protect yourself and your sensitive information.

Always approach unexpected emails cautiously—double-check senders, avoid clicking suspicious links, and never share sensitive information without verifying the source. A few moments of vigilance can save you from potentially devastating consequences.

Take your security one step further with Certo, a powerful mobile security app designed to detect hidden threats, block hackers, and safeguard your device.