How to Spot Phishing Emails | A Comprehensive Guide

Phishing emails remain one of the most common and dangerous cyber threats today. Cybercriminals use phishing emails to trick people into revealing sensitive information such as passwords, MFA codes, credit card details, or company data. These attacks often appear legitimate, making it difficult to tell whether an email is real or a scam.

Learning how to spot phishing emails is essential for both individuals and organizations. By recognizing phishing red flags, phishing signals, and phishing indicators early, you can prevent account takeovers, financial fraud, and data breaches before they happen.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to identify phishing emails with confidence. We’ll cover the most common signs of a phishing email, explain how to check a link in an email safely, show how spoofed email addresses work, and outline what to do if you receive a suspicious message. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to confidently answer the question: “Is this email legitimate?” and protect yourself from modern phishing attacks.

Phishing Red Flags, Signals, and Indicators (Quick Overview)

Phishing emails usually reveal themselves through clear phishing red flags, subtle phishing signals, and technical phishing indicators. If you can spot these early, you can avoid most phishing attacks.

Common phishing red flags and indicators include:

• Urgent or fear-based language designed to pressure you
• Requests for passwords, MFA codes, or payment details
• Spoofed or lookalike sender email addresses
• Links that lead to suspicious or mismatched domains
• Unexpected attachments or unusual file types
• Branding, logo, or formatting inconsistencies

If you want to see real phishing indicators in action, read our guide on What is Phishing: Definition, Detection and Protection.

Why Phishing on the Rise

Phishing attacks remain a top threat for organizations. Businesses are more dependent than ever on digital communication, including email, SMS, and voice channels. This reliance opens doors for cybercriminals to execute advanced phishing attacks. The shift to remote work has further heightened the risk of these attacks.

• Over 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent daily, representing 1.2% of global email traffic, and phishing is the initial vector in 36% of data breaches.
• One in every 99 emails contains phishing or malicious content, contributing to 94% of malware infections.
• The average cost of a phishing-related breach is $4.88 million to $5.1 million per incident.
• Phishing attacks evading email defenses rose by 47%, with 82.6% now using AI-generated content, making spotting more difficult.

Check our blog on phishing statistics to get more details on phishing trends.

How to Recognize Phishing Emails?

Recognizing phishing emails is an essential skill. These deceptive messages are designed to look authentic, but with careful examination, you can spot them. Being aware of the common signs of a phishing email helps protect your personal and professional information from cybercriminals.

A sample phishing email and the tips to identify it:

Language and Content Red Flags in Phishing Emails

One of the first aspects to look deeper in an email is its language and content. These language-based phishing signals are some of the strongest early warning signs and should always be treated as high-risk phishing indicators.

Analyzing Phishing Email Layouts and Design Elements

An email's visual layout and design can also provide clues. Phishing emails might imitate the design of a legitimate company but often have some differences. Pay attention to mismatched logos, poor image quality, and unusual formatting. These inconsistencies can indicate that the email is not from a legitimate source.

Deciphering Email Headers and Sender Information

Finally, examining the email header and sender information is crucial. Check the sender's email address carefully; phishing emails often have addresses similar to legitimate ones but with slight variations. Understanding how to view and interpret email headers can also help identify whether an email has come from a trusted sender or a potentially harmful source.

By familiarizing yourself with these indicators, you can enhance your ability to spot phishing emails, significantly reducing the risk of falling victim to these cyber threats.

While you're reading, take a chance to see analyzing eBay phishing email in action on our YouTube channel. It will make things clearer.

How to Spot Phishing Emails Technically

Spotting a phishing email requires more than just intuition, it involves a careful, technical analysis of email red flags. Start by checking the sender’s email address closely; many spoofed email addresses look legitimate at first glance but contain subtle differences, such as extra characters or domain mismatches. Next, hover over links without clicking to verify where they actually lead. Knowing how to check a link in an email is one of the most effective ways to detect fraudulent messages, as phishing attempts often redirect you to malicious websites designed to steal credentials. Reviewing the email header information can also reveal unusual routing paths or forged sender data, which are clear signs of a phishing email.

While some phishing attempts are easy to notice, others are crafted to look convincing. By checking the technical details of an email, you can uncover the hidden signs of a phishing email and determine whether it’s legitimate or a scam.

Check the Sender’s Email Address

One of the first things to do is check the sender’s email address carefully. Attackers often use a spoofed email address that looks similar to a trusted source but contains slight changes (e.g., replacing “o” with “0”). If you’re wondering “is this email legitimate?”, mismatched domains or unusual characters in the sender field are strong red flags.

Analyze the Email Header and Metadata

Email headers contain technical information about where the email came from. Looking at the header helps you verify the sending server and detect inconsistencies. If the “From” field doesn’t match the domain in the header, it’s likely a phishing attempt. This technical step is key in separating phishing vs. spam.

Hover Over and Inspect Links

Phishing emails often contain links that lead to fraudulent websites. Always check a link in an email by hovering your mouse over it (without clicking). If the visible text doesn’t match the actual URL, or the domain looks suspicious, it’s a sign of a phishing scam to look for.

Review Attachments and File Types

Another common tactic is sending harmful attachments. If you receive unexpected files, especially with extensions like .exe, .zip, or .scr, treat them as suspicious. Cybercriminals may disguise malware in attachments to steal data or install malicious software.

Examine Authentication Records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

Legitimate emails usually pass authentication checks. When possible, review whether the email passed SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation. A failure in these records is often a technical clue that the email is not from the sender it claims to be.

Cybercriminals also rely on psychological triggers, so watch for too good to be true offers and messages with poor spelling and grammar in emails, which remain common tactics. If you’re ever unsure and ask yourself, “Is this email legitimate?”, compare the message against known common phishing email examples or use security tools that analyze headers and embedded URLs. These email security tips combined with vigilance help you not only identify phishing emails but also strengthen your overall online fraud prevention strategy.

Signs of a Phishing Email You Should Never Ignore

The signs of a phishing email are usually easy to miss if you’re in a hurry. However, these phishing red flags and phishing indicators should never be ignored, as they are commonly used in real-world phishing attacks.

Urgency or Fear-Based Language

Phrases like “final warning,” “immediate action required,” or countdown timers are meant to bypass critical thinking. Real companies rarely demand instant action via email; they offer multiple channels and reasonable time frames. Treat urgency as a phishing email red flag.

Requests for Sensitive Information

Legitimate organizations don’t ask for passwords, MFA codes, card numbers, or full personal IDs over email. If a message asks you to “re-verify” credentials, assume it’s malicious. When in doubt, navigate to the official site directly—don’t use the email link.

Unexpected Links to Login Pages

Login prompts embedded in emails are a favorite trick. Before you click, check a link in an email by hovering to preview the true URL. Watch for misspelled brands, extra words before the top-level domain (e.g., brand.com.evil-site[.]io), or URL shorteners hiding the destination. If the message claims to be internal, confirm the request in your company chat or ticketing system.

Inconsistencies in Branding or Design

Blurry logos, off-brand colors, mismatched fonts, and low-resolution images suggest a copycat. Compare the layout to past legitimate emails from the same sender. Also check the footer: real emails include a physical address, clear unsubscribe options, and accurate legal text.

How to Tell If an Email Is Real

Is This Email Legitimate? Quick Checks

1. Sender domain: Does it exactly match the official domain (no typos, extra characters, or lookalikes)?
2. Link preview: Hover over links—does the URL truly belong to the organization?
3. Context: Were you expecting this email, attachment, or payment request?
4. Channel verification: Confirm via a trusted channel (official website, known phone number, or internal chat).
5. Attachments: Treat unexpected files as unsafe; open in a sandboxed environment if your policy allows.

🔵 If you want practical examples, review our breakdown of common phishing red flags used in real attacks to see how legitimate emails differ from phishing emails. Check common phishing examples guide.

How to Tell If an Email Is from a Trusted Source

Check the address format (firstname.lastname@brand.com vs. brand.support@brand-helpdesk.com[.]io), SPF/DKIM/DMARC pass status if visible in your client, and cross-reference prior legitimate messages. When the email concerns payments, HR changes, or credentials, validate via your known account portal rather than the email link.

Phishing vs. Spam — Key Differences

• Intent: Spam is unwanted but usually commercial; phishing attempts fraud.
• Content: Spam pushes promotions; phishing asks for credentials, payments, or data.
• Risk: Spam is annoying; phishing can cause account takeover, data loss, and fraud.

Check this link for further information to learn What is Phishing & How to Protect Yourself.

Table 1: Phishing Red Flags vs Legitimate Emails

What to Do with a Phishing Email

Knowing how to report phishing emails correctly is critical to stopping phishing campaigns before they spread across your organization.

Do Not Click, Download, or Reply

Assume links lead to credential-harvesting pages and attachments contain malware. Do not forward the message externally or reply (even to say “stop”)—that confirms your address is active. If you already clicked, change passwords immediately and notify IT.

How to Report a Phishing Email

Follow your organization’s policy:

• Use the Report Phish button in your mail client if available.
• Forward to your security mailbox (e.g., security@company.com) with full headers.
• If the email impersonates a major brand, report via the brand’s abuse page.

For consumer mail, many providers accept reports at phishing@ provider domains.

For further information, check this guide on how to report phishing emails.

Deleting and Blocking Suspicious Senders

After reporting, delete the message from Inbox and Trash. Block the sender domain—but remember, attackers rotate addresses, so rely on filters and security controls too. If your email security gateway supports it, request a tenant-wide purge of the campaign.

Sharing Email Security Tips with Your Team

Turn incidents into learning moments. Share sanitized screenshots showing what a phishing email looks like, highlight the signs of a phishing email, and remind colleagues how to check a link in an email. Reinforce with short, periodic trainings and simulations to build real habits.

What are Phishing Security Best Practices

Sticking to phishing security best practices is key in defending against phishing attacks. This includes being cautious with email attachments and links, especially from unknown senders. Regularly updating passwords and using complex combinations can also bolster your defenses. Additionally, always verify the authenticity of personal or financial information requests, and educate your assets on the latest phishing tactics and trends.

How to Use Anti-Phishing Tools and Software

Leveraging anti-phishing tools and software is a smart way to enhance email security. These tools can automatically detect and alert you to potential phishing emails, helping to filter out malicious content before it reaches your inbox. Investing in reliable antivirus software and regularly updating it can protect against phishing attempts.

Importance of Regular Security Training and Awareness

Regular security training and awareness is crucial, especially in organizational settings. Educating employees about the risks and signs of phishing emails can significantly reduce the likelihood of successful attacks. Conducting regular training sessions, sharing updates about new phishing techniques, and promoting a culture of security awareness are effective ways to foster a vigilant and informed workforce.

What to Do If You Suspect a Phishing Email

Knowing the right steps is crucial if you encounter a potential phishing email. Quick and appropriate actions can prevent data breaches and mitigate potential damage. Please check the following picture to see the three steps if you suspect a phishing email below:

What are Actions Upon Identifying a Phishing Attempt

When you receive an email that looks suspicious, it's important to know how to respond properly to protect yourself and your information.

Here are the steps you should take if you suspect an email is a phishing attempt:

• First Step: When you think an email might be a phishing scam, do not click on any links, open attachments, or respond to the email.
• If You Clicked: If you accidentally clicked on something in the email, immediately disconnect your device from the internet to stop any possible viruses from worsening.
• Change Passwords: If you're worried your information was stolen, change your passwords just to be safe.
• Scan Your Device: Use the latest antivirus software to check your computer or device for any bad software and get rid of it.

Impact of Security Awareness Training on Spotting and Reporting Phishing Attacks

Below is a compilation of relevant statistics from recent reports, success in spotting/reporting, and the impact of training:

• Security awareness training (SAT) reduces phishing risk by 40% within 90 days and 86% after one year, dropping PPP to 4.1% and click rates below 5%.
• After 6 months of adaptive training, phishing reporting rise up to 92 % success rate, with failure rates dropping to 2-3%.
• Real threat detection improves from 13% (pre-training) to 64% after 12 months and 71% after 24 months.
• Recent training (within 30 days) boosts reporting rates to 21% (vs. 5% without), but has minimal impact on reducing clicks (only 5% relative decrease).
• In trained companies, median click rate in simulations is 1.5%.
• Benchmark goal for failure rates in simulations is below 5%, with zero as the ideal.

Check our guide to get best security awareness training topics to include to mitigate human risk.

Next Steps: Protecting Your Business with Keepnet Human Risk Management

Spotting phishing email red flags is the first step—but testing your defenses against real threats is just as important. Keepnet’s Email Threat Simulator is designed to show you exactly what phishing emails look like when they slip past security. It works with platforms like Office 365, Google Workspace, and Secure Email Gateways (SEGs), sending over 700 real-world phishing email examples into a safe test inbox.

This process uncovers vulnerabilities that bypass traditional filters, helping you:

• Identify phishing scams to look for across attachments, spoofed domains, and malicious URLs.
• Strengthen your SEG settings and improve blocking efficiency.
• Run continuous checks with detailed reports and recommendations.

Whether it’s malicious attachments, ransomware, or advanced phishing techniques (APTs), our Email Threat Simulator provides visibility and action steps to harden your email security.

Continuous security awareness training combined with phishing simulations is the most effective way to reduce human risk and stop phishing attacks before damage occurs.

Keepnet’s Complete Phishing Defense Suite

Alongside technical testing, our Human Risk Management platform helps employees learn how to spot a phishing email and respond correctly:

• Phishing Simulation and Cyber Security Awareness Training: Keepnet's tools educate employees on phishing threat recognition and response.
• Vishing Simulator: Simulates phone phishing to improve employee detection of fraudulent calls.
• Smishing Simulator: Prepares employees to recognize malicious SMS messages.
• MFA Phishing Simulator: Teaches how attackers might circumvent MFA, emphasizing code security.
• Quishing Simulator: Educates on QR code phishing risks and safe scanning practices.
• Callback Phishing Simulator: Simulates callback phishing, teaching effective response strategies.
• Incident Response: Provides tools for quick action in suspected phishing incidents.

Please watch our quick YouTube video and learn how to spot phishing emails and analyze them.

Editor's Note: This blog was updated on February 3, 2026.