IT-security
How do you recognize a phishing email?
Phishing is a popular form of cybercrime. These fraudulent emails are often very difficult to distinguish from real ones. How do you know if an email is safe?
We are happy to share some tips that can help you recognize fake emails.
Phishing and other email attacks are a plague. Countless businesses have already fallen victim. You don’t want to be next, do you?
Sender
- Always check the sender’s address. Even if the sender’s name is spelled correctly, the email address is often a variation of the real company or institution name.
- Carefully check the domain name of the email. You can recognize this by everything that comes after the @ symbol.
- Make sure the email address actually matches the website address. A common trick is replacing letters with numbers.
- The difference between a legitimate and fake address can be very hard to spot. For example, 1 (number) is replaced with I (letter) → contact@51008bedrijven.be vs. contact@5I008bedrijven.be.
Salutation
Business partners usually use your first or last name in emails. Emails starting with “Dear Sir/Madam” or “Dear Customer” should raise suspicion.
Requests for personal data
Most phishing emails ask you to verify, update, or provide personal information via a link. Never click this link! Your bank, insurance company, or other official institutions will never ask for personal details by email.
When in doubt, always contact the organization directly to verify if they really sent the email. Never use the contact details in the suspicious email, but look them up yourself.
Language and design
In the past, phishing emails could be recognized by spelling mistakes, but that is no longer the case. The logos and images used look increasingly professional. Read carefully and look for irregularities. You can always compare with a previous legitimate email.
Urgency
Many phishing emails try to pressure you with urgent warnings such as “last notice.” A common example is “Your subscription or warranty expires. If you don’t pay amount X today, your subscription will be canceled.” Never respond via email. If in doubt, contact the supplier directly by phone.
Links
Fraudsters use links in emails to install malicious software or lead you to fake websites. Never click on a link you don’t trust. Hover your cursor over the link to check the real destination before clicking.
The key to stopping phishing is prevention. Office-IT can help! With Vade, you are protected against advanced phishing, spear phishing, and malware attacks.
Looking for an IT partner for your SME?
Do you also want to work securely and efficiently, with immediate support for issues – all without skyrocketing IT costs?
“It is well known that 90% of cyberattacks start with an email, so we really needed a solution for this.
Now with Vade, suspicious emails no longer reach our inboxes, and that gives peace of mind.”
Whitewood Property Management