How to Detect Phishing Emails: A Complete Guide with Examples

Phishing emails are one of the most common cyber threats today, targeting individuals and businesses to steal sensitive information. Attackers disguise their emails as legitimate messages from trusted sources, tricking recipients into revealing passwords, financial details, or other personal data.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to identify phishing emails, common red flags, and provide real-world examples to help you stay safe.

1. What is a Phishing Email?

A phishing email is a fraudulent message that appears to be from a trusted source but is designed to trick recipients into providing sensitive information, downloading malware, or clicking malicious links.

Common Goals of Phishing Emails

• Stealing login credentials (bank accounts, email, social media)
• Infecting your device with malware
• Gaining unauthorized access to financial information
• Impersonating officials to request money transfers

2. How to Identify a Phishing Email

Phishing emails often contain telltale signs. Let’s break them down:

2.1. Suspicious Sender Email Address

Attackers often use email addresses that look similar to real ones but have slight modifications.

Example of a phishing sender:

• Legitimate: support@paypal.com
• Phishing: support@paypa1.com (‘l’ replaced with ‘1’)

How to detect it:

• Hover over the sender’s email to see the full address.
• Look for misspellings or unusual domains (e.g., @mail-paypal.com instead of @paypal.com).

2.2. Generic or Urgent Subject Lines

Phishing emails create a sense of urgency to prompt hasty actions.

Common phishing subject lines:

• “Your account will be suspended!”
• “Unauthorized login attempt detected!”
• “Confirm your information now!”

How to detect it:

• Legitimate companies rarely pressure users to act immediately.
• If unsure, visit the company’s official website instead of clicking links.

2.3. Poor Grammar and Spelling Mistakes

Many phishing emails contain awkward phrasing and grammar mistakes due to poor translations.

Example of a phishing email with poor grammar:

“Dear Customer, your acount has been compromised. Please confirm you details immediatly to secure your access.”

How to detect it:

• Official communications from professional companies rarely have typos.
• Compare with previous emails from the real company.

2.4. Fake Links (Spoofed URLs)

Attackers use misleading links that appear genuine but lead to malicious websites.

Example:

You receive an email that says:

“Log in to your PayPal account now: Click Here”

However, if you hover over the link, the actual URL might be:
http://secure-paypal-login.xyz (not an official PayPal domain!)

How to detect it:

• Hover over links before clicking—most email clients show the real URL in the bottom-left corner.
• Ensure the domain matches the company’s official website.

2.5. Attachments You Didn’t Request

Phishing emails often contain attachments disguised as invoices, receipts, or important documents. These files may contain malware.

Suspicious file extensions:

• .exe, .scr, .zip, .rar, .iso, .js
• .docx, .xlsx, .pdf (if unexpected, could contain malware)

Example of a phishing attachment email:

“Your invoice is attached. Please review it immediately.” (Invoice.docx—contains hidden malware)

How to detect it:

• Never open unexpected attachments.
• If unsure, verify with the sender via a trusted communication method.

2.6. Requests for Personal or Financial Information

Legitimate companies never ask for sensitive information via email.

Example phishing email:

“We detected suspicious activity on your account. Please verify your banking details immediately by replying with your card number and CVV.”

How to detect it:

• No legitimate company will ask for passwords, PINs, or financial details via email.
• Instead, log in directly to your account on the official website.

2.7. Fake Logos & Design Mistakes

Attackers attempt to mimic real branding, but often logos look blurry, colors are off, or formatting is inconsistent.

Example:

• Legitimate email: Uses the exact font, colors, and logo as the official company.
• Phishing email: Logo might be low-quality, stretched, or misaligned.

How to detect it:

• Compare with real emails from the company.
• Check for branding inconsistencies or missing contact information.

3. Real-Life Phishing Email Examples (With Analysis)

Example 1: Fake Bank Alert

Subject: “Your Account Has Been Locked – Immediate Action Required”
From: security@bank-secure.com
Message:

“Dear Customer, due to unusual activity, your account has been temporarily locked. Click below to verify your identity and restore access.”
Verify Now

✅ How to detect the phishing attempt:

• The sender’s email does not match the real bank’s domain.
• The link leads to a fake login page.
• The email creates urgency to make you act quickly.

Example 2: Fake Tech Support Email

Subject: “Microsoft Detected a Virus on Your PC!”
From: support@microsoft-alert.com
Message:

“Our system detected malware on your PC. Call our Microsoft Certified Technicians at +1-800-555-XXXX to resolve this issue.”

✅ How to detect the phishing attempt:

• Microsoft does not send unsolicited virus alerts.
• The email urges you to call a fake tech support number.
• The sender’s domain is not Microsoft’s official domain.

Example 3: Fake Tax Refund Scam

Subject: “You Are Eligible for a $500 Tax Refund!”
From: refunds@irs-support.com
Message:

“The IRS has approved your tax refund. Click below to claim your $500 refund.”
Claim Now

✅ How to detect the phishing attempt:

• The IRS does not send refund notifications via email.
• The email creates urgency.
• The link does not belong to the official IRS website (irs.gov).

4. What to Do If You Receive a Phishing Email

1. Do not click on links or download attachments.
2. Report the email to your email provider (e.g., Gmail, Outlook).
3. Verify the sender by contacting the company directly.
4. Mark the email as spam/phishing in your email client.
5. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for extra security.
6. Update your passwords if you accidentally interacted with the email.

5. Final Thoughts

Phishing emails are getting more sophisticated, but with the right knowledge, you can spot and avoid them. Always be cautious, double-check email senders, verify links, and never share personal details via email.

Stay vigilant and share this guide to help others avoid phishing scams!