A phishing message is a fake email, text, or other communication designed to make you reveal sensitive information, click a harmful link, open an attachment, or install software. If a message seems suspicious, don’t use its links or phone numbers to check it: contact the person or organization through a website or number you already trust. If you already interacted, take recovery steps that match what you clicked, opened, or disclosed.
How to tell if an email or text may be phishing
Phishing messages impersonate companies, government agencies, colleagues, or people you know. A familiar name, logo, or polished design does not prove a message is genuine. Instead, consider whether the request makes sense in context and verify it independently.
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Look for suspicious requests and context
- Unexpected urgency or pressure: the sender claims your account will be closed, a payment failed, or you must act immediately.
- Requests for sensitive information: a message asks you to confirm a password, account details, personal information, or financial information through a link or reply.
- Unexpected invoices, refunds, or account alerts: the message refers to a purchase, refund, sign-in, or payment problem you do not recognize.
- Unexpected attachments or links: especially when you were not expecting a file or the message gives little context.
- Sender or link mismatches: the sender address may not fit the name shown, or a link’s destination may not match the text describing it. Shortened or unfamiliar links deserve particular caution.
Spelling mistakes can be a warning sign, but they are not required for a message to be fraudulent. The FTC lists fake claims about suspicious sign-ins, account or payment problems, personal-information confirmation, unfamiliar invoices, and government refunds among common phishing approaches. CISA’s September 2024 tip sheet also flags urgent language, mismatched sender addresses, requests for personal or financial details, and unexpected attachments. FTC guidance and the CISA tip sheet describe these warning signs.
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In Gmail, Google recommends checking whether the sender address matches the displayed name, whether the message is authenticated, whether a link destination matches its description, and whether the From header is misleading. These checks can help, but no single visual cue proves a message is safe. Google’s Gmail phishing guidance explains how to inspect and report suspicious messages.
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How to verify a suspicious message safely
- Don’t click, download, reply, or call a number in the message. The FTC’s April 2025 advice is direct: “Don’t click links or download attachments in unexpected messages.”
- Go to the official site independently. Type an address you already know, use a trusted bookmark, or open the organization’s official app. Check for an account notice there.
- Use a trusted phone number. Find it from a previous statement, official card, or known website—not from the suspicious message.
- Confirm personal requests on another channel. If a message appears to come from someone you know, contact them through a separate, familiar method, such as a saved phone number.
The FTC reported in April 2025 that email was the top method scammers used to contact people in 2024, but that alert gives no count or percentage. Its phishing-scam advice emphasizes avoiding unexpected links and attachments.
What to do if you received a suspicious message but did not interact
- Do not reply, click a link, open an attachment, or use an unsubscribe link in the suspicious message.
- Use your email or messaging service’s report-phishing or report-junk control.
- If it came through a work account, follow your organization’s reporting procedure.
- After reporting, delete the message. If it claims to be from a real company or agency, verify through a known official site or number.
For U.S. consumers, the FTC also recommends forwarding phishing emails to [email protected], forwarding phishing texts to 7726, and reporting the attempt at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. These routes are U.S.-specific; reporting authorities vary by country.
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What to do if you clicked a link or opened an attachment
Clicking a link is not the same as entering your password or financial details, but an unexpected link can still expose you to a scam. If a file may have downloaded harmful software, update your security software, run a scan, and follow its instructions for anything it identifies. A clean scan does not establish that a device is definitely safe. The FTC’s December 2024 alert on phishing scams discusses why these scams can be difficult to spot.
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What to do if you entered a password or disclosed sensitive information
If you entered a password
Open the affected service through its known website or app—not the message—and secure the account. Change the exposed password, and change it anywhere else you reused it. Review account activity and recovery options, and turn on multi-factor authentication if available. If you cannot sign in, use the service’s official account-recovery process.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
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If you shared bank, card, or identity information
Contact the bank, card issuer, or other affected institution using a verified number or official app. Explain what information you shared and follow its instructions. For possible identity theft in the United States, use IdentityTheft.gov for steps tailored to the information exposed. A password change alone may not address financial or identity information that was disclosed.
What to do if the message involves a workplace account
Report it promptly through your organization’s established process and notify the IT or security team. Do not forward the message to colleagues as a warning unless your organization’s procedure says to do so; use its designated reporting route instead.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
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- BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.
Microsoft documents reporting and submission options for supported organizational systems. Depending on the configured submission pathway, a submitted message may include its content, headers, attachments, and associated data for analysis. Organizations should follow their own reporting process and data-handling rules. See Microsoft’s documentation on reporting suspicious messages and files.
How to reduce the risk of future phishing attacks
- Keep security software current and enable automatic software updates.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication for important accounts. A security key is one possible possession-based credential; account and device compatibility vary, and no single measure makes phishing impossible.
- Back up important files so you can recover them if a device or account is compromised.
- Keep using independent verification for unexpected requests, even when a message looks convincing.
The FTC lists updated security software, automatic updates, multi-factor authentication, and backups among its recommended protective steps in its consumer phishing guidance.
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