Phishing is a process in which scammers will send you email messages which are disguised as helpful.

Once you engage with the email, they will get confidential information.

In recent years, phishing attacks have had the most victims, with numbers close to 300,000.

You must ensure that you do not succumb to their baits. Here are some common phishing email messages that you should be wary of.

Urgent Engagement Request

You will often encounter emails that require you to change your credentials urgently and so on. Keep an eye out for these. They will often require you to engage within a certain deadline. Always take a moment to verify the details from the original and reliable sources before engaging.

The Forged Invoice

Statistics reveal that in the US, businesses are facing annual losses averaging three hundred thousand dollars due to fraudulent invoices.

Forgery has always been an old trick in the book of scammers. Always check the invoice mail that is sent to you. Scammers always bet on the fact that you would not notice minor changes and thus end up losing a lot of money.

The Lottery Winner

You will receive an email saying you have won $100,000 in prizes from a lottery. Never fall for this trick. You will be elated and then enter your bank or PayPal details. You will not receive your $100,000, but will surely lose a lot.

The Phishing Mail

n 2023 alone, over 298,000 individuals in the United States reported experiencing phishing attacks. These emails will usually redirect you to a login page of a social media platform or university. Once you log in, they will solicit your credentials such as passwords or credit card details.

The Job Offer Mail

You may receive lucrative job offers through emails. Verify the authenticity of the mail. Research the company and get in touch with concerned people. If you blindly follow and fill in your details, be rest assured that they are going into the wrong hands.

The Charity Con

If you are a kind person known for donating to multiple charities, keep an eye out. Scammers will take advantage of your kindness. When you are sent a mail to donate to charity, validate the donation request. If you do not, there is a possibility that scammers will exploit you for their gain.

Tech Support

In 2023, tech support scams were the third-most damaging cybercrime in the USA, causing losses that totaled $924 million.

Be wary of emails or phone calls mentioning that there’s some problem with your computer. Remember that real tech firms never ask you for private information through mail or calls. If you receive any such requests via mail, there is a possibility that someone is trying to steal your data or personal info. If you feel you have been scammed, report right away at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ .

The Investment Jackpot

You might often receive mail that promises you a ginormous return on investment. Be wary of such money-making ideas. Any ‘get rich quick’ scheme that requires you to invest first, has a high chance of being a fraud. It is best to keep away from scams such as these.

The Romantic Scam

Scammers might disguise themselves as romantic partners. Be wary of such people who stay in contact through texts but do not reveal any information of their own.

They will take advantage of your emotions to extort money out of you.

Tax Refunds

The IRS will never reach out to you for refunds via email. Be careful of emails such as these.

Always refer to the official channels in such cases and verify the authenticity of any mail that asks for personal information.

The Data Breach Alarm

If you ever receive an email about a suspicious login, be careful. They will require you to log in urgently to prove that you are the real owner.

Never do that unless you are sure it is an authentic website or platform. If you log in, you can kiss your credentials and data goodbye.

The Tourist Honeytrap

When you are traveling somewhere and have booked seats, you will receive promotional offers. Be wary of those that seem unbelievable and alluring.

It could be a honeytrap set up by scammers to get hold of your financial information.

The Gift Package

When you receive an email containing a pdf, wait to download it. Read the email and ensure the credentials are legit. Scammers and hackers often attach backdoors to such documents.

Through these backdoors, they can easily access your phone without you knowing.