Phishing Examples by Emotional Triggers: How Scammers Exploit Human Emotions

Phishing attacks are no longer just about fake emails—scammers now exploit emotions through text messages, social media, and phone calls. By tapping into fear, urgency, and trust, they push victims to act without thinking.

In 2025, a smishing (SMS phishing) scam tricked thousands of Americans with fake toll payment and delivery alerts. Victims, fearing fines or missed packages, clicked malicious links, exposing their financial data. The FBI reported that these scams have increased four times this year, fueled by 10,000+ fake domains created by cybercriminals. (Source)

This highlights how scammers manipulate victims using fear, urgency, and trust. In this blog, we’ll explore phishing examples based on emotional triggers and ways to stay protected.

Emotional Triggers in Phishing Attacks

Cybercriminals manipulate human emotions to trick victims into making impulsive decisions. By exploiting fear, greed, urgency, and curiosity, scammers increase their chances of success in phishing attacks. Understanding these emotional triggers helps individuals and organizations recognize phishing tactics and reduce risk.

Below are the most common emotional triggers that scammers use to deceive their victims.

1. Fear-Based Phishing Examples

Fear is one of the most powerful tools in a scammer’s arsenal. When people feel threatened, they often react without thinking critically. Attackers exploit this by creating a sense of urgency or panic, pressuring victims into immediate action.

Scammers commonly impersonate banks, government agencies, or IT teams, sending alarming messages about account suspensions, legal threats, or security breaches. Victims, fearing consequences, follow the provided instructions—often leading to stolen credentials or financial loss.

Common Fear-Based Phishing Scenarios:

• Fake account suspension alerts demanding urgent verification.
• Threats of legal action or financial penalties for unpaid bills.
• Health-related scams, such as fake COVID-19 test results or insurance warnings.

For an in-depth look at how cybercriminals use fear in phishing attacks and how to protect yourself, read Keepnet's article on Fear-Based Phishing Examples: Scams That Exploit Anxiety and Panic.

2. Greed-Based Phishing Examples

Scammers prey on people’s desire for financial gain by offering fake rewards, sweepstakes, or investment opportunities. These too-good-to-be-true offers trick victims into revealing sensitive information or making fraudulent payments.

Attackers often send emails or messages claiming the recipient has won a lottery, received an exclusive discount, or qualified for a high-return investment. Victims, eager to claim their reward, unknowingly provide personal or financial details—leading to identity theft or monetary loss.

Common Greed-Based Phishing Scenarios:

• Fake lottery winnings or sweepstakes require a "processing fee" to claim the prize.
• Fake investment opportunities promise high returns with little risk.
• Limited-time offers or fake refunds urging immediate action.

To better understand these scams and how to protect yourself, read Keepnet's blog on Greed-Based Phishing Examples: How Scammers Use Tempting Offers.

3. Trust-Based Phishing Examples

Scammers exploit trust by impersonating well-known brands, banks, or employers, making their phishing attempts appear legitimate. Victims are more likely to comply with requests from familiar names, unknowingly handing over sensitive information.

Attackers send emails that appear to be from trusted companies like PayPal, Amazon, or major banks, urging recipients to update passwords, verify accounts, or review fake invoices. These messages often include convincing logos, official-sounding language, and fraudulent links that steal login credentials or financial details.

Common Trust-Based Phishing Scenarios:

• Fake password reset requests from banks or email providers.
• Phony invoices or receipts from PayPal, Amazon, or other online platforms.
• Fraudulent security alerts claiming "unusual activity" and prompting immediate action.

To see real examples of how scammers impersonate trusted brands—and learn how to recognize and prevent these attacks—read the Keepnet article on Trust-Based Phishing Examples: Emails Impersonating Trusted Brands.

4. Curiosity-Based Phishing Examples

Curiosity is a powerful motivator, and scammers know how to exploit it. These phishing attacks present enticing, mysterious, or shocking content to get victims to click on malicious links or open harmful attachments. Unlike fear-based or trust-based phishing, these scams don’t rely on urgency or authority—they simply spark intrigue and let human nature do the rest.

A common tactic is sending emails or messages with vague but tempting subject lines that make people want to know more. Clicking the link, however, often leads to malware downloads, fake login pages, or fraudulent surveys that steal personal data.

Common Curiosity-Based Phishing Scenarios:

• "Leaked exclusive content" or shocking news headlines that encourage clicks.
• Fake celebrity scandals or gossip disguised as must-see stories.
• Unexpected job offers or prize notifications lead to phishing sites.

Want to see how scammers craft these deceptive messages—and how you can avoid falling for them? Read the Keepnet article on Curiosity-Based Phishing Examples: Tricks That Spark Your Interest.

5. Guilt-Based Phishing Examples

Scammers manipulate emotions by making victims feel responsible for a problem or mistake. These phishing attacks create a sense of shame or obligation, pressuring people into taking immediate action—often without verifying the request.

A common tactic is sending emails about unpaid bills, overdue taxes, or accusations of policy violations. Some scams also pose as charities, using heart-wrenching stories to guilt victims into donating money or providing personal details.

Common Guilt-Based Phishing Scenarios:

• Fake overdue payment notices claiming failure to act will result in penalties.
• Fraudulent warnings about inappropriate online activity demanding "proof" of innocence.
• Emotional charity scams pressuring victims to donate urgently.

Curious how scammers use guilt to manipulate their victims? Explore real-world examples and learn how to protect yourself in the Keepnet guide on Guilt-Based Phishing Examples: Scams That Manipulate Conscience.

6. Urgency-Based Phishing Examples

Cybercriminals love to create panic, forcing people into rushed decisions. What we mostly see that they use phishing attacks with tight deadlines, urgent warnings, or fake emergencies to pressure victims into clicking unsafe links or handing over sensitive information.

They often pretend to be banks, retailers, or IT teams, claiming you need to act fast—whether it’s resetting a password, verifying an account, or confirming a transaction. And because people fear losing access or money, they react without stopping to question the request.

Some common urgency-based phishing tactics include:

• 'Act now!' emails offering limited-time deals or rewards.
• Fake security alerts urging immediate password resets or account verification.
• Phony order confirmations claiming a transaction needs urgent review.

The key to staying safe? Slow down, verify, and think before you click.

For an in-depth look at how scammers use urgency to manipulate victims—and how to stay safe—read Keepnet's blog on Urgency-Based Phishing Examples: Spot Scams That Demand Quick Action.

The Psychology of Emotional Manipulation in Phishing

What makes phishing scams so successful is because they exploit human psychology, making people act impulsively instead of rationally. Attackers take advantage of cognitive biases that influence decision-making, such as:

• Loss aversion – The fear of losing money, access, or security prompts victims to comply with phishing requests.
• Fear of missing out (FOMO) – Limited-time offers, or urgent warnings push people to act without verifying authenticity.
• Optimism bias – Many believe they won’t be targeted, making them less cautious.

These psychological tricks make phishing emails, messages, and websites seem more convincing. Research from the University of Cambridge’s Psychology of Phishing Study shows that cybercriminals exploit psychological biases to manipulate victims into clicking malicious links or disclosing sensitive information. Understanding these psychological traps is key to resisting phishing attacks.

Managing Employee Phishing Risks by Emotional Triggers

Phishing attacks exploit human emotions, making employees the first line of defense. Keepnet Human Risk Management Platform provides AI-driven simulations, behavior-based training, and real-time threat response to help organizations strengthen their security posture.

Keepnet AI-Driven Phishing Simulator

Keepnet offers phishing simulations tailored to specific emotional triggers, helping employees recognize and resist scams based on fear, greed, and curiosity.

Keepnet’s Phishing Simulator boosts phishing reporting by up to 92% through realistic, behavior-targeted campaigns.

• Access 6,000+ phishing templates designed around fear, greed, urgency, and curiosity.
• Filter out false clicks from automated security tools.
• AI-powered phishing scenarios adapt to employee behavior, creating realistic, risk-free training to strengthen detection skills.

Behavioral-Based Security Awareness Training

Keepnet Security Awareness training reduces risky security behavior by up to 90%.

• Covers all social engineering attack types using a proven behavior change model.
• Provides 2,100+ training materials in 36+ languages for diverse teams.
• Seamlessly integrates with phishing simulations for a complete security strategy.

Incident Response & Risk Analysis

Keepnet Incident Responder helps organizations detect, report, and remove phishing threats in minutes.

• Automates email threat removal for 7,500+ inboxes.
• Uses AI to detect zero-day phishing threats.
• Integrates with SOAR tools like Palo Alto XSOAR & Splunk.
• Instant phishing reporting via Outlook & Google Workspace add-ins.
• Flexible deployment: Choose SaaS or on-premise.
• Ensures privacy with no third-party data sharing.

Keepnet enables organizations to catch phishing threats early, enhance employee response, and remove malicious emails before they cause damage.

Prevention Strategies for Emotionally Triggered Phishing

Stopping phishing attacks requires both technology and employee awareness. While security tools can block many threats, employees are the first line of defense against emotionally manipulative scams.

• Watch for emotional manipulation – Be cautious of emails that create fear, urgency, or excitement to pressure you into quick action.
• Verify requests independently – Contact banks, IT teams, or colleagues directly instead of clicking email links.
• Use phishing-resistant MFA – Implement FIDO2 security keys or authentication apps instead of SMS-based MFA.
• Limit email exposure – Avoid publishing email addresses publicly and use aliases for external communications.
• Enable advanced email security – Deploy AI-powered phishing detection, sandboxing, and domain filtering.
• Train employees with real-world simulations – Use phishing tests tailored to emotional triggers like fear, greed, and urgency.
• Encourage fast reporting – Implement a one-click phishing report button and reward employees for quick detection.

A proactive approach that combines security tools with ongoing employee training is the most effective way to prevent emotionally driven phishing attacks. To make reporting phishing easier, check out Keepnet’s Microsoft Phishing Reporter Button, which streamlines phishing defense with a simple, built-in solution.

Strengthening Your Phishing Defenses

Phishing attacks work because they exploit human emotions, making people act impulsively. Recognizing how scammers use fear, greed, urgency, and curiosity helps individuals and businesses respond more effectively.

Technology alone isn’t enough—employees must be equipped with the right knowledge and tools to spot and report phishing attempts.

Test your organization’s phishing awareness with Keepnet’s Free Phishing Simulation Test and identify vulnerabilities before attackers do.