How to Spot a Phishing Email – 5 Signs to Look Out For

This attempt went on to ask why the sender wouldn’t pay an “invoice” attached to the email. Our IT staff later confirmed this attachment carried a ransomware payload. Like the confusing influx of different Oreo flavors in recent years (cotton candy Oreos, really?), the variety of phishing email attempts has blossomed. The “shock and awe” method described above is not a new tactic, though the use of vulgarity seems to be a relatively new variation. Fake shipping confirmations. Tax-related W-2 requests. Emails requesting password resets for social media accounts, online banking, you name it. These are just a few ways scammers use social engineering to bypass technological safeguards and compromise sensitive data.