Phishing is one of the oldest tricks in the hacker playbook—but also one of the most effective. And it’s not just big businesses being targeted—individuals and small title agencies are vulnerable.

The good news? You don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert to protect yourself. You just need to know what to look for and how to respond.

What Is Phishing?

Phishing is a cybercrime where scammers impersonate trusted sources—like a bank or real estate agent, or even a friend—in order to trick you into revealing personal information, clicking malicious links or downloading harmful files.

“Phishing is a con game,” said Trent Milliron, chief executive officer of Kloud9. “They''re trying to build your trust just long enough to get you to click on something you shouldn’t.”
The phishing communication often arrives via email or text message but can also happen through phone calls (called “vishing”) or social media.

Common Signs of a Phishing Attempt

Knowing the red flags is key. Here’s what to watch for:

Urgent or Threatening Language

Scammers want you to act without thinking. Messages may say things like:

• “Your account has been suspended.”
• “Unusual activity detected—verify now.”
• “You only have 24 hours to respond.”
• Or the latest, “Notice of Toll Evasion.”

Suspicious Links or Attachments

If an email asks you to click on a link or download a file, pause.
Dickon Newman, information security officer for Kloud9, said, “If the link seems even a little bit off, don’t click. It’s better to be paranoid than compromised.”
To protect yourself from a phishing email, always hover your mouse over links before clicking to reveal the actual URL, ensuring you''re not redirected to a fake or malicious site. This allows you to verify the link''s legitimacy before proceeding
Hover over the link to preview the destination. Typos in the web address or strange domains (like login.bank-update.com) are strong indicators of fraud.

Unfamiliar or Lookalike Email Addresses

Phishers often spoof email addresses. For example, an email might appear to be from bob@yourbanklIc—but look closely, the second "l" is actually an uppercase "I."
Also beware of generic email services (like Gmail or Outlook) claiming to represent official business departments.
Microsoft Outlook will often note “You don''t often get email from…” above the message.

Generic Greetings or Poor Personalization

Legitimate companies usually address you by name. “Dear customer” or “Hello user” is a red flag.

Spelling Mistakes or Clunky Language

Grammatical errors and awkward phrasing are common in phishing attempts. While some are improving their writing, many still give themselves away with sloppy text.
“Bad spelling doesn’t always mean it’s a scam—but in a suspicious email, it’s another piece of the puzzle,” Newman said.

Advanced Phishing Tactics to Know

Cybercriminals are constantly refining their methods. Here are a few phishing variations to be aware of:

• Spear Phishing: This is a targeted phishing attack that uses personalized information—like your name, job title, or company—to make the scam more convincing. These are often harder to detect.
• Business Email Compromise (BEC): In BEC attacks, scammers impersonate a company executive or vendor to trick employees into transferring funds or revealing credentials. These scams cost organizations billions every year.
• Clone Phishing: Scammers copy a real message you’ve received (like a company newsletter), but replace links or attachments with malicious versions.

What to Do If You Suspect Phishing

Taking a moment to think before you act can stop phishing in its tracks.

Here’s what to do:

• Don’t click links or download attachments from suspicious messages.
• Verify directly: Call or email the company using a known, official contact—not the one in the message.
• Report it: Most platforms allow you to flag phishing attempts. At work, notify your IT or security team.
• Delete the message once you’ve reported it.

“Your first instinct may be to click, but taking a few seconds to double-check can save you from a major headache,” Milliron added.

Deepfakes Targeting Companies

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an alert to help financial institutions identify fraud schemes associated with the use of deepfake media created with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools.

GenAI provides the ability to produce synthetic content that is difficult to distinguish from unmodified or human-generated outputs. GenAI-rendered content that is highly realistic is commonly referred to as “deepfake” content or “deepfakes.” Deepfakes can manufacture what appear to be real events, such as a person doing or saying something they did not actually do or say.

For example, some companies have reported that criminals employed GenAI to alter or generate images used for identification documents, such as driver’s licenses or passport cards and books. Criminals can create these deepfake images by modifying an authentic source image or creating a synthetic image. Criminals have also combined GenAI images with stolen personal identifiable information (PII) or entirely fake PII to create synthetic identities.

How to Protect Yourself Long-term

• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible.
• Install antivirus software and keep it updated.
• Keep software and operating systems current to patch security flaws.
• Stay educated. Many phishing attacks are preventable with awareness and training.

“Phishing is about psychology. If you can outthink the scam, you win,” Newman emphasized

Final Thoughts

Phishing may never go away—but by staying alert, slowing down and trusting your instincts, you can keep yourself and your customers’ money and information safe. Educate yourself, educate your team and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
If something feels off, it probably is. Stop. Think. Verify.