How to Recognise Phishing Emails in 2026

Studies report that phishing attacks accounted for more than 80% of reported security incidents in recent years, and they are only getting more convincing. With the rise of AI-generated emails, attackers can now craft messages that are nearly indistinguishable from legitimate communications.

What Is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack where criminals send fraudulent messages — typically emails — designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, clicking malicious links, or downloading harmful attachments. The goal is usually to steal credentials, install malware, or gain access to internal systems.

The Most Common Types of Phishing

Email phishing remains the most widespread form. Attackers send mass emails impersonating trusted brands like Microsoft, Google, or your company's own IT department. These emails often create a sense of urgency — "Your account will be suspended in 24 hours" — to pressure quick, unthinking action.

Spear phishing targets specific individuals using personal information gathered from social media or data breaches. Because these emails reference real colleagues, projects, or events, they are far harder to detect.

Business Email Compromise (BEC) involves attackers impersonating senior executives or finance personnel to authorise fraudulent payments or data transfers. Studies report BEC attacks cost organisations an average of £120,000 per incident (source: Action Fraud / IC3 Annual Report).

Smishing and vishing extend phishing to SMS messages and voice calls, where attackers impersonate banks, delivery services, or tech support.

Red Flags to Watch For

• Urgency and pressure — Legitimate organisations rarely demand immediate action under threat of account closure or legal consequences.

• Sender address mismatches — Check the actual email address, not just the display name. Look for subtle misspellings like "micros0ft.com" or "g00gle.com".

• Generic greetings — "Dear Customer" or "Dear User" instead of your actual name is a common indicator of mass phishing.

• Suspicious links — Hover over links before clicking. If the URL doesn't match the supposed sender's domain, do not click it.

• Unexpected attachments — Be especially cautious with .zip, .exe, .docm, or .xlsm files from unknown senders.

• Poor grammar and formatting — While AI has improved phishing quality, many attacks still contain awkward phrasing or inconsistent branding.

• Requests for sensitive information — No legitimate company will ask for passwords, PINs, or full credit card numbers via email.

What to Do If You Suspect a Phishing Email

• Do not click any links or download attachments.
• Report it to your IT or security team immediately.
• Mark it as phishing in your email client.
• If you already clicked a link, change your password immediately and enable multi-factor authentication.
• Alert colleagues who may have received the same email.

Building Organisational Resilience

Individual awareness is important, but building a resilient organisation requires a systematic approach. Regular phishing simulations help employees practise identifying threats in a safe environment. Combining simulations with short, focused training modules creates lasting behaviour change — not just awareness.

Organisations that run monthly phishing simulations typically see click rates drop by 70% or more within the first 90 days (studies report; results vary by organisation and baseline). The key is consistency: one-off training sessions have minimal long-term impact.

Conclusion

Phishing attacks will continue to evolve, but so can your defences. By training your team to recognise the warning signs and creating a culture where reporting suspicious emails is encouraged and rewarded, you transform your workforce from your biggest vulnerability into your strongest security asset.