What will you learn in this guide?
Protecting yourself from phishing is easier than it sounds if you know the right signs and follow a few basic verification steps.
• You will learn to always verify the sender’s full domain, not just the display name, as scammers use typosquatting techniques to create fake addresses.
• We’ll show you how to check suspicious links by hovering over it to see the real URL before clicking.
• You’ll spot the red flags: urgent messages, glaring grammatical errors, or requests for sensitive personal information.
• You will know the correct protocol: access the company’s official website directly and contact through official channels to verify authenticity.
• You’ll know what to do if you’ve interacted with a fake email: disconnect from the internet, run antivirus, and change all your passwords from a clean device.
Remember that the key is to take a few seconds to check before acting. A minute of caution can save you hours of trouble and protect your personal information.
Do you know how to spot fake emails before it’s too late?
Phishing emails are one of the most common scams and often appear completely legitimate. These malicious messages are specifically designed to steal your personal data, money, or access to your accounts.
The good news is that identifying fake emails is not complicated if you know what to look for. Checking for fake emails involves checking key signals such as the sender, domain, suspicious links, and grammatical errors. Detecting bad emails protects you from sharing sensitive information with scammers.
In this article, you’ll learn step-by-step how to effectively identify and protect yourself from phishing. We will show you simple techniques that you can apply today.
What is a fake email and how does phishing work?
Definition of Spoofed Email
A fake email is a fraudulent message that impersonates companies, institutions or people to deceive you. This practice, known as phishing, consists of stealing sensitive information and credentials through identity forgery. Cybercriminals seek to obtain passwords, credit card numbers, bank details, and other sensitive personal information.
Here’s how it works technically: email spoofing allows this impersonation by manipulating the message headers, especially the “From” field, to simulate that it comes from a trusted source such as a bank, a well-known company, or an official body. This is possible because the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), which governs the sending of emails, lacks robust authentication mechanisms. Basically, outgoing mail servers can’t determine whether the sender’s address is legitimate or fake.
Difference Between Spam and Phishing
Although both concepts are related, you should know their different goals. Spam consists of unwanted mass emails, usually advertising, that arrive in your inbox without your consent. For example, commercial offers or generic promotions.
Phishing goes much further. These are fraudulent messages specifically designed to steal information. While spam seeks to promote products, phishing uses social engineering techniques to psychologically manipulate you into performing specific actions such as clicking on malicious links or downloading infected files.
How Scammers Operate
Cyber criminals craft legitimate-looking emails using logos, designs, and official language of real entities. They create a sense of urgency or threat for you to act quickly without verifying the source.
Below, we show you their most common techniques. They impersonate banks by requiring you to update login details. They also imitate the Tax Agency to obtain credentials through fraudulent pages. In the corporate sphere, they employ BEC (corporate email committed), where an employee receives an email from their supposed superior asking for an urgent and confidential transfer.
Attackers exploit factors that lend credibility to the deception, taking advantage of periods when the real perpetrator is absent. Between 2022 and 2023, the increase in these attacks has been 51%, reaching a record 1.76 billion fraudulent emails.
Remember that spam filters don’t detect these messages because they don’t contain suspicious content, just vague phrases that ask for account-related information or actions.
How to identify fake emails: signs you shouldn’t ignore
Have you ever wondered if that email from the bank is really from your bank? Identifying a fraudulent email before it causes damage is easier than you might imagine if you know the right signs.
Step 1: Examine the sender and their domain
We recommend that you never rely solely on the name that appears in your inbox. Open the full address and carefully review the domain that appears after the @ symbol. Scammers use typosquatting techniques, changing a letter or adding words to create fake domains such as correos-envios@paqueteriaonline-spain.com instead of info@correos.es.
Tools like EmailCheck allow you to validate if a domain really corresponds to the entity it claims to represent. Also remember to check the SPF and DKIM records in the message headers, as these indicate whether the email passed authentication checks.
Step 2: Detect errors in the language
Pay special attention to the language used. Poorly constructed sentences, obvious machine translations or spelling mistakes are clear warning signs. Interestingly, some scammers intentionally include errors to filter out victims: those who don’t detect them are more vulnerable and profitable to continue the deception.
Step 3: Be wary of urgent or threatening requests
No serious company will pressure you with immediate threats. If you receive emails demanding urgent action with phrases such as “your account will be blocked in 24 hours” or “last notice before suspension”, be suspicious. Legitimate entities do not request instant decisions using threats.
Step 4: Scan links and attachments
Before clicking on any link, hover over it without tapping to see the actual URL. If it contains unknown domains, random characters, or strange extensions (.xyz, .top), it is fraudulent.
As for attachments, be especially careful with these dangerous extensions: .exe, .zip, .rar, .js, .xlsm, .docm. Legitimate companies never send executables or ask you to enable macros.
Step 5: Review message personalization
Generic emails with “Dear Customer” or “User” lack the personalization that real entities use. Spanish companies usually address you using your full name and specific account details.
Step 6: Verify contact details
Fraudulent emails often omit clear contact information or feature incomplete signatures. If you can’t find a professional signature with verifiable contact details, be suspicious immediately.
How to check suspicious emails step by step
When you receive a message that raises questions, we recommend that you follow these verification steps. This way you can confirm if it is legitimate without putting yourself at risk.
Step 1: Stop Before You Act
Remember that haste is the best ally of scammers. Cybercriminals need you to make a mistake like clicking on a link or downloading something. Take a few seconds to evaluate the message before interacting with any element.
Step 2: Check the sender’s full address
The visible sender field is easy to forge. To verify this correctly, open the message’s properties and look for the “Received” header, which shows the actual domain from which it was sent. If you’re using Outlook, go to File > Properties to access Internet headers. Once you have this information, compare it with the entity’s official domain.
Step 3: Examine the links without clicking
Place your mouse cursor over the link without clicking it. The actual URL will appear in the bottom corner of the browser. If the address does not match the official domain or contains strange characters, it is fraudulent.
Step 4: Go directly to the official site
Instead of using the link in the suspicious email, open a new browser window and manually type in the company’s official address. Sign in from there to check if the notification mentioning the message actually exists.
Step 5: Contact through official channels
If doubts persist, call the company’s official number or send a message through its website. Legitimate companies will confirm or deny that they sent that email. Never reply directly to the suspicious message.
What to do if you receive or open a fake email
When you suspect you’ve interacted with a fraudulent email, acting immediately can make all the difference. Below, we’ll show you the specific steps you need to take based on the level of interaction you’ve had with the message.
If you only opened the email
Opening a message doesn’t automatically compromise your device. However, don’t respond or click on any items. Mark the email as spam and delete it. If you work for a company, notify IT even if it seems like a minor error.
Remember that simply viewing the content of the email is not dangerous, but avoid any type of additional interaction.
If you clicked a link or downloaded a file
Step 1: Close the page immediately without entering data.
Step 2: Disconnect your device from the internet by turning on airplane mode or unplugging the cable.
Step 3: Run a full scan with antivirus software while you’re offline.
Step 4: Back up important files to an external drive before making changes.
Step 5: Change all your passwords from a clean device.
Step 6: Check your bank accounts, social media, and email for suspicious activity like logins from unknown locations.
How to report phishing emails
In Outlook, select the message and choose “Report > Phishing.” In Gmail, open the email, click “More” next to Reply, and select “Report phishing.” You can also report incidents to INCIBE by providing detailed description and evidence of the fraud.
We recommend that you report these incidents even if you haven’t fallen for it. This helps protect other users.
Protect your accounts after a phishing attempt
Enable multi-factor authentication on all critical accounts. Contact your bank if you shared financial information to block cards. Let your contacts know that your account may have been compromised.
If you have any questions about these steps or need additional help, do not hesitate to contact computer security professionals or the technical support of the affected companies.
Conclusion
Now you have everything you need to detect fake emails and protect yourself from phishing effectively. Verifying the sender, analyzing links, and staying calm in the face of urgent messages are simple actions that make all the difference.
Also, if you ever doubt an email, remember that it’s better to waste a minute verifying it than risking your personal information. Apply these steps consistently and navigate your inbox in complete safety. Prevention will always be your best defense!
FAQs
Q1. How do I know if an email is phishing? Carefully examine the sender’s domain after the @ symbol, look for spelling or grammatical errors in the message, check for suspicious links or attachments, and be wary of urgent requests that pressure you to act immediately. You also hover over links without clicking to see the actual URL before interacting with them.
Q2. What steps can I take to prevent phishing attacks? Don’t open emails from unknown senders or reply to suspicious messages. Never share personal information, passwords, or bank details via email. Keep all your devices and security programs up to date. Enable multi-factor authentication on your important accounts and always verify the authenticity of messages by contacting the company directly through official channels.
Q3. What are the most common signs of a phishing attempt? Messages that create urgency or alarm, requests for personal or banking information, obvious grammatical errors, email addresses that mimic official domains with slight variations, generic greetings such as “Dear customer”, and the absence of legitimate contact details are clear indicators of a possible phishing attempt.
Q4. What should I do if I accidentally click on a phishing link? Immediately close the page without entering any data. Disconnect your device from the internet by turning on airplane mode. Run a full scan with your antivirus. Change all your passwords from a secure device and check your bank accounts and social media for suspicious activity. If you’ve shared financial information, contact your bank immediately.
Q5. Is it dangerous to simply open a phishing email without clicking on anything? Opening a phishing email without interacting with its elements usually doesn’t compromise your device automatically. However, you should not reply to the message or click on any links or attachments. Mark the email as spam, delete it from your inbox, and if you’re in a work environment, notify IT about the incident.
