16 Ways to Spot a Phishing Email in 2026

16 Signs to Watch for in Phishing Emails

Pressure – If the email has an urgent deadline, says something is “overdue”, or requests you to take action immediately, this should be a red flag to pause for a moment.

Asking for Money – This could be in the form of gift cards, wire transfers, or a payment to an account that you are unfamiliar with.

Bank Details Changing – Watch for anyone asking you to chang banking details for a vendor or supplier.

A Familiar Sender is Asking to Use a Different form of Contact – For example, suddenly your boss wants you to text a different number than the one you normally communicate on.

Asking for Personal Information – Any email that asks for a password or verification code should have you thinking twice before acting or responding.

Unexpected Attachments – If you didn’t request a file, be cautious.

Emails that Have Links – hover over links (don’t click!) to see where they lead. Be suspicious if they are sending a link for you to make a payment.

Strange Sender Address – The display name may look different from the actual sender address. Look for slight variations in company names, such as added letters.

It Seems to Good to be True – For example, you won a shopping spree at your favorite store. Look out for items like large coupons from unfamiliar stores, or emails saying you’re eligible for a refund.

Emails That Say There is a Billing Problem – If they want you to re-enter banking information they should already have, look out.

Emails with Generic Greetings – While some scammers are getting more sophisticated, something like “Dear User” should be a red flag.

Emails from Companies You Don’t Have an Account with – If you have never worked with the company sending the email, ask yourself why they would be emailing you.

Messages Sent During Odd Times – Check the time stamp on the email to see when it was sent. Most legitimate business will send emails during regular business hours. If an email was sent at 4 A.M., that may be a sign to proceed with caution.

Low Quality Company Logos – If the email uses a company logo, does it look blurry, stretched, or not up to date? If you have another email from the same company, compare logos, layout, and font styles to see if it likely came from the same place.

Emails with QR Codes – In addition to suspicious links, be on the lookout for embedded QR code images. Sometimes these QR codes can bypass email link checks. Scanning a QR code can get you to continue with a process on your phone, where you may miss important details.

High-Level Executives Emailing Urgent Requests with Little Context – Scammers may access your website, press releases, news articles, and social media to learn the names of executives in your company. They may try to leverage this authority by posing as a high-level executive in your company. If you receive an email from a high-ranking person in your company asking you to handle a financial task immediately, verify through another means. Call the person on a trusted line, or visit their office in person to be sure before you make any financial moves.

Look Out if an Email Asks for this Personal Information

So much of our lives are lived online now. Shopping, searching, booking travel, or even scheduling appointments with a new medical provider, have all made it common and familiar to give some of our personal information online. Just because it has become familiar, however, does not mean that it is always safe to do so.

Watch out if an email asks for any of the following:

Your Social Security Number

Your Debit Card Number

Your Credit Card Number, or part of it, such as the security code

Bank Account numbers

Your Full Date of Birth

Passwords

MFA codes

Simple Steps to Take to Prevent Phishing

While you can’t anticipate every attempted attack, there are some simple steps that you can take to protect your information.

Enable MFA

MFA, or multi-factor authentication, can make it significantly less likely you will get hacked. This is because if one method if authentication is compromised, such as a password, there is still a second. MFA asks for two or more authentication factors to verify identity. This can include, but is not limited to:

A password

A PIN

Answering a Security Question

Access to something only the user has, such as a cell phone

A fingerprint

For example, when logging in you may be prompted to enter your password, as well as a one-time code sent to your cell phone.

Update Software Regularly

Many updates address new security threats, so updating your software regularly is important. Consider automatic updates.

Back Up Important Data

If you have important data, back it up on something like an external hard drive.

Cyber Insurance for Businesses

Even while being vigilant about cybersecurity, implementing MFA, and using strong passwords, criminals may still gain access to data. Cyber attacks are a constant threat for businesses. Declining to have cyber insurance could put your business at risk. Requesting a cyber insurance quote through Cross Insurance is as simple as filling out our form. At Cross Insurance, we work with many insurance carriers– from local companies to national names. If you prefer to call someone to start the quoting process, you can find a list of our offices as well as phone numbers here.

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This article is for general informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon or used for any particular purpose. Cross Insurance shall not be held responsible in any way for, and specifically disclaims any liability arising out of or in any way connected to, reliance on or use of any of the information contained in this article. The information contained or referenced in this article is not intended to constitute and should not be considered legal, insurance, accounting or other professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for the recipient obtaining such advice. The views expressed in this article are that of its author and do not necessarily represent the views of Cross Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (“Cross Insurance”) or Cross Insurance’s management or shareholders.