How to Spot and Stop Phishing Emails

Email is the number one way attackers get in. Over 91% of attacks start with an email, and ordinary antivirus often cannot catch a well-written phishing message. The best defense is a team that knows what to look for.

Why phishing works

Phishing works by pushing you to act fast without thinking. The message pretends to be someone you trust and creates a sense of urgency: a late invoice, a locked account, a delivery problem. Almost 90% of successful attacks trace back to human error rather than broken technology. That is good news, because attention and a few habits close most of the gap.

Red flags to watch for

• An urgent demand to act now, pay now, or your account closes.
• A sender address that looks almost right but is off by a letter or a domain.
• Links that do not match the real site when you hover over them.
• Unexpected attachments, especially Office documents and zip files, which together make up most malicious attachments.
• Requests for passwords, payment details, or wire transfers.
• Spelling and grammar that feel slightly off.

What to do when you spot one

• Slow down. Urgency is the trap.
• Do not click links or open attachments you were not expecting.
• Confirm the request through a known phone number or a fresh email, not by replying.
• Report the message to your IT contact so others can be warned.
• If you already clicked, tell us right away. Fast reporting limits the damage.

What we put in place behind the scenes

On our side, we layer in protections so fewer bad messages reach you. Email filtering and anti-malware scanning catch known threats. DNS and URL filtering block known-bad sites. DMARC makes it harder for attackers to spoof your domain. We can also run security awareness training so your team gets regular practice spotting real-world lures.

Questions, or want to set up training? Call Robb Technology Group at (806) 370-4700 or email support@robb.tech.