{"id":7135,"date":"2021-06-23T10:27:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T08:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/?p=7135"},"modified":"2021-08-17T15:10:22","modified_gmt":"2021-08-17T13:10:22","slug":"what-is-a-phishing-e-mail-and-how-can-you-tell-it-is-a-fake-e-mail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/what-is-a-phishing-e-mail-and-how-can-you-tell-it-is-a-fake-e-mail\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a phishing e-mail and how can you recognise it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

No doubt you have already received an e-mail in which a company or a bank asks you to pay an outstanding invoice of which you are completely unaware. This is a classic example of a phishing<\/strong> attempt. And the (fake) company or bank uses this technique to get hold of your money or personal details. Falling prey to phishing scams can have serious financial consequences and compromise your cybersecurity. That is why we have compiled a list of the main tips you should know to recognise phishing attempts in time.<\/p>\n

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What is phishing? How does it work?<\/h2>\n

Phishing is a scam where somebody tries to steal certain information from you over the Internet.<\/p>\n

The attacker pretends to be a trustworthy entity, sometimes even someone you know, attempting to gain your trust. Therefore, the fake e-mail he sends you looks authentic; usually it even includes the logo of the real company he pretends to work for (your bank, a web store where you regularly shop\u2026).<\/p>\n

In such a fake e-mail, the phisher will often tell you that you need to log in to settle an outstanding balance or to win a prize. In order to do this, he will ask you to click on a link, which will lead you to a fake website. There, the phisher will ask you to enter your details or make a payment. And that is how a phisher will get hold of your details or money without you even noticing!<\/p>\n

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The term 'phishing' was first used in 1996, when hackers tried to steal passwords from America Online (now AOL) users. They compared this technique to that used in fishing, as they used their fake e-mails to cast lines into the 'sea' of Internet users. And just like when fishing for fish, it only takes a few people to take the bait for a phishing attack to be successful.<\/p>\n

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Basically, cybercriminals increasingly make use of phishing techniques because it is much easier to get people to click on a link than breaking into their computers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Important:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Incidentally, cybercriminals misuse virtually any means of telecommunication to launch their attacks (telephone, text message, social media, e-mail\u2026). In this article, we will focus on e-mail, which is the most common method, but be wary of other means of telecommunication as well!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How do I recognise a phishing e-mail?<\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, phishing e-mails are increasingly harder to spot. Often, they are exact duplicates of the e-mails you receive from legitimate companies, including the logo and all. And whereas previously you could effortlessly spot phishing e-mails just by looking at the poor English, it has now become quite a difficult task because of the improved language. But although it is difficult to recognise phishing attempts, you cannot miss them if you follow the five tips below that will help you recognise and prevent them.<\/p>\n