Phishing emails are one of the most common and dangerous threats facing businesses today. They look innocent—sometimes even familiar—but behind the scenes, they’re designed to trick users into clicking on malicious links, handing over credentials, or downloading malware. Knowing how to spot a phishing email is one of the most important cybersecurity skills any employee can have.
This guide breaks down the telltale signs of phishing emails, how to react when you spot one, and what steps your business should take to protect against them.
What Is a Phishing Email?
Phishing emails are designed to impersonate trusted senders—like banks, coworkers, or software vendors—to manipulate recipients into taking risky actions. These actions might include logging into a fake website, downloading malware, or wiring money to a fraudulent account. And yes, they still work—because many people haven’t been trained to spot the signs.
If you’re onboarding new employees or refreshing cybersecurity practices for your team, Phishing Awareness for Employees: Why New Hires Are Prime Targets is a great place to start.
The Numbers Behind the Threat
Phishing attacks are not only persistent—they’re growing at an alarming rate. In 2025 alone, an estimated 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent every single day, with phishing now responsible for initiating 91% of all cyberattacks. That’s why knowing how to spot a phishing email is more important than ever.
What makes these threats especially dangerous is their increasing sophistication. Thanks to AI, phishing messages are now more convincing, personalized, and grammatically correct than in previous years, making them harder to detect with a quick glance. If your employees aren’t sure how to spot a phishing email, they may fall for these modern tactics without realizing anything’s wrong.
How to Spot a Phishing Email
The good news is that most phishing emails share certain traits. Once you know what to look for, they become much easier to recognize.
1. Look Closely at the Sender Address
It may look like it’s from someone you know, but hover over the email address. Is it really from “[email protected]” or is it “[email protected]”? Typos and odd domains are big red flags.
2. Beware of Urgent or Threatening Language
Phishing emails often try to create panic. Phrases like “your account will be deactivated” or “you must act immediately” are designed to short-circuit rational thinking.
3. Check for Generic Greetings
Real businesses know your name. Phishing emails often use generic greetings like “Dear customer” or “Hello user” to cast a wide net.
4. Watch for Spelling or Grammar Errors
Professional emails are usually well written. If the message is riddled with typos or awkward phrasing, be cautious. This is a common sign the email was sent from a non-native speaker or hastily created.
5. Think Before You Click Any Links
Hover over links before clicking. Does the URL match what you expect? If it looks strange—or doesn’t match the sender’s identity—don’t click it.
6. Be Wary of Unexpected Attachments
Phishing emails might include attachments disguised as invoices, reports, or resumes. If you weren’t expecting the file, don’t open it—especially if the format is unusual (.zip, .exe, .html).
7. Question Any Request for Credentials or Sensitive Info
No legitimate company will ask for your password or sensitive information via email. If an email is requesting that kind of data, it’s almost certainly a phish.
What to Do If You Suspect a Phishing Email
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Do not click anything or reply.
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Report the email using your company’s process (this might include using a “Report Phish” button or alerting your IT team).
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Delete the message only after it’s been safely reported.
Evolving Tactics Make Detection Harder
Cybercriminals are constantly adapting. QR code phishing attacks have surged by 587%, and SMS-based phishing (“smishing”) is up by 250%, making detection more difficult across all devices. Attackers are also leveraging legitimate platforms like DocuSign, PayPal, Microsoft, and Google Drive to send phishing emails, giving them a false sense of credibility that’s difficult to challenge unless you know how to spot a phishing email by examining more than just the sender.
Even more troubling is the rise of supply chain–based phishing—with 11.4% of phishing emails now coming from trusted accounts within a company’s vendor network or internal systems. These messages bypass many standard red flags, reinforcing the need for employees to understand how to spot a phishing email by digging deeper than surface-level trust.
Reporting Gaps and Human Error
Despite growing awareness, many people still miss the signs. Only 1 in 5 users (20%) recognize and report phishing emails during simulated phishing tests. The numbers drop even further—to just 7%—for employees who only receive quarterly security training. These stats highlight how much work remains in teaching teams how to spot a phishing email reliably.
The good news? There’s proof that dedicated training works. With consistent, adaptive phishing awareness programs, companies can increase phishing email reporting rates to 60% within one year and reduce actual incidents by as much as 86%. The takeaway is clear: helping your team learn how to spot a phishing email isn’t just a good idea—it’s one of the most impactful things you can do to strengthen your cybersecurity posture.
How Phishing Emails Are Designed to Fool You
Cybercriminals design emails with very specific tactics. 99% of phishing emails use response-based methods or links to phishing sites instead of malware attachments. This makes them much harder for security filters to catch—and places the burden on users to recognize the deception.
These emails often impersonate trusted brands, including Amazon and Google (13% each), Facebook and WhatsApp (9%), and Netflix and Apple (2%). Recognizing these fake identities is part of understanding how to spot a phishing email—and why even a familiar logo or sender name should never be taken at face value.
Reinforce Learning With a Quiz
Want to test your knowledge? We’ve created a Phishing Guide with a built-in quiz to help you practice spotting red flags in real-world examples.
Keep Your Team Sharp
Learning how to spot a phishing email is not a one-time task. Ongoing training, regular reminders, and building a culture of awareness are essential. If you haven’t already, check out our other helpful reads:
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Phishing Awareness for Employees: Why New Hires Are Prime Targets
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Building a Culture of Awareness: Cybersecurity Awareness for Employees
Final Thoughts
Phishing attacks are only getting more sophisticated—but so can your defenses. At Professional Computer Concepts, we help businesses build smart, proactive defenses against email-based threats through employee training, advanced email filtering, and 24/7 threat monitoring.
Have questions or want to schedule a security awareness session for your team? Contact us today—we’re here to help you stay protected.