What Does a Phishing Scam Look Like?

A phishing scam is designed to trick you into handing over personal information, passwords, banking details, or money by pretending to be a trusted person, company, or service. The goal of a scammer using phishing techniques is usually to create a sense of urgency, fear, curiosity, or excitement intended to push people to react.

Fake Emails

A phishing email may appear to come from some of the following 'trusted' institutions. The important word here is 'appear' as fake emails these days don't look so fake!

• Your bank

• A delivery company

• A government agency

• A social media platform

• A workplace colleague

Examples:

• Your account has been suspended " click here immediately.

• You've won a prize!

• Unusual login detected.

• Invoice attached " payment overdue.

Red flags:

• Misspelled sender addresses

• Generic greetings like Dear Customer

• Poor grammar or odd wording

• Suspicious links or attachments

• Pressure to act quickly

Example:

From: support-paypal-secure@gmail.com
Subject: Urgent Account Verification Required

Even though it mentions PayPal, the email address is fake.

Fake Text Messages (Smishing)

These often pretend to be from:

• Delivery services

• Toll roads

• Banks

• Phone companies

Examples:

• Your parcel is waiting. Pay $2.99 shipping fee.

• Linkt toll unpaid " avoid penalties now.

• Your bank account has been locked.

The message usually includes a suspicious link.

In Australia, fake toll and parcel scams are extremely common.

Fake Websites

Phishing websites are designed to look almost identical to real ones.

Common tricks:

• Slightly altered URLs 

  • Real: paypal.com

  • Fake: paypa1.com

• Extra words:

  • secure-bank-login.com

• Fake padlock icons or copied branding

They often ask you to:

• Log in

• Enter credit card details

• Verify identity information

Phone Call Scams (Vishing)

Scammers may call pretending to be:

• The ATO

• Tech support

• Your bank

• Microsoft or Apple support

Common tactics:

• Claiming your computer is infected

• Threatening arrest or fines

• Asking for remote access

• Requesting gift cards or cryptocurrency payments

Social Media & Messaging Scams

These can appear on:

• Facebook

• Instagram

• WhatsApp

• TikTok

Examples:

• Fake giveaways

• "Investment opportunities"

• Friends asking for money after their accounts were hacked

• Romance scams

• Fake online stores

Common Warning Signs Across All Phishing Scams

Be cautious if a message:

• Creates urgency ("Act now!")

• Threatens consequences

• Requests passwords or verification codes

• Asks for payment in gift cards or crypto

• Contains strange links

• Sounds too good to be true

• Comes unexpectedly

How to Protect Yourself

The main thing to remember is to never click on suspicious links but instead type in website addresses manually for validation. It is useful to also set up two-factor authentication and keep software updated so that verify requests can occur independently. For many, being caught out is a simple mistake so knowing the signs of what to look for can help!

Image credit Unsplash Marcus Winkler