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Phishing is a deceptive message designed to make you click a link, open an attachment, send money, or reveal sensitive information. It can arrive by email, text, or another channel—and it can impersonate a company, service, friend, or family member. The safest response is to pause, avoid the message’s links and contact details, and verify the request through a channel you find independently.
What phishing means—and how it differs from spam
Phishing is a form of social engineering: a scammer poses as someone you may trust and tries to prompt an unsafe action or disclosure. The goal may be to steal login credentials, personal or financial information, obtain payment, or get you to install harmful software. The FTC covers phishing by text as well as email, and scams can also arrive through calls and other messages. FTC phishing guidance and CISA’s phishing tip sheet explain the common patterns.
Spam is unsolicited bulk messaging; phishing is defined by deceptive intent. A phishing message may be one of many unsolicited emails, but a message does not become phishing merely because it is unwanted. The important question is whether it is trying to trick you into giving something up or taking a risky action.
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How to recognize a phishing message
Look at the request, not just the logo, spelling, or sender name. A message can look polished and still be fraudulent, and an unexpected message is not automatically a scam. Judge it by what it asks you to do, whether you expected it, and whether the claim checks out through a source you reach independently.
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- Unexpected problems or urgency: A warning that an account is locked, a payment failed, or a delivery is on hold may pressure you to act before you think.
- Requests for sensitive information or payment: Treat unexpected requests for passwords, verification codes, bank details, personal information, or money with caution.
- Links or attachments you did not expect: A parcel notice may lead to a fake fee page; an invoice may arrive as an unexpected attachment. Do not open or follow them to investigate.
- Sender or address mismatch: Check whether the actual sender address or message details fit the organization or person claimed. A familiar display name or branding alone proves nothing.
- Shortened or unfamiliar links: If you can inspect a link preview without opening it, check the destination. Do not follow it to see whether it is genuine; instead, visit the organization’s known website yourself.
- Unusual requests from someone you know: An urgent request to transfer money or share information may be an impersonation. Confirm with that person through a separate, trusted channel.
Spelling and grammar mistakes can be clues, but CISA describes poor writing as a less common sign. Correct spelling, professional design, or familiar branding should not settle the question. The FTC notes that phishing can be hard to spot; the request and independent verification matter more than surface appearance.
What to do when a message seems suspicious
- Stop before acting. Do not click a link, open an unexpected attachment, reply with information, or use a phone number or address supplied in the message. Avoid clicking “unsubscribe” in a suspicious message.
- Check through a separate route. Open the official app or type a website address you already know, or contact the person or organization using a trusted number or address you find independently. Ask whether the request is real.
- Report it, then delete it. In the United States, the FTC says phishing emails can be forwarded to reportphishing@apwg.org, and phishing texts can be forwarded to 7726. You can also report attempts at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Check the FTC’s current guidance for reporting details and any organization-specific process.
If you clicked, shared information, or downloaded a file
Respond to what happened rather than assuming every click caused the same harm. If you are unsure whether you entered information or downloaded something, use the relevant steps below and act promptly through genuine account or institution channels.
If you entered a password or verification information
- Go to the genuine service directly and change the exposed password. Change it anywhere else you reused it.
- Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA) for affected accounts, if available. Use a phishing-resistant option when the account supports one.
If you shared financial or identity information
- Contact your bank or the relevant institution using a verified number or channel—not contact details in the message.
- Use IdentityTheft.gov for tailored steps if personal information may have been exposed or identity theft is a concern.
If you downloaded a file or may have installed malware
Follow the FTC’s malware guidance: update your security software, scan the device, and remove any malware it detects. A scan is a useful step, not proof that a device is clean.
How to make future phishing attempts less damaging
- Use unique, strong passwords. A password manager can help you manage separate passwords for different accounts.
- Enable MFA on important accounts. A second verification step makes account access harder after a password is stolen, but does not make every message safe. CISA recommends MFA and identifies security keys as one option; its October 2025 cybersecurity essentials poster says a physical security key offers the best protection among the methods shown. A key is optional and works only with compatible accounts.
- Keep devices and security software updated. Updates help address security issues, while security software can help detect and remove malware; neither should be treated as a guarantee that a phishing message is safe.
- Back up important data. Backups provide a recovery option if a device or files are affected.
- Pause when a message creates pressure. Verify urgent requests for money, credentials, or attachments through an independent channel before acting.
What recent figures do—and do not—say
The FTC reported that email was the top method scammers used to contact people in 2024, in an April 2025 alert. That covers scam contact methods overall; it is not a count of phishing emails or a measure of phishing prevalence. In June 2026, the FTC reported $3.5 billion in losses to imposter scams in 2025. Those scams used text, phone, email, social media, search results, and other routes, so the figure is not a phishing-only loss total. FTC, April 2025 · FTC, June 2026
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