If a work email asks you to act urgently, share credentials or sensitive information, open an attachment, or follow a link, pause and verify it independently. A familiar name, logo, or believable story does not prove it is genuine. Report suspicious messages through your employer’s approved phishing button or IT/security contact; if you already interacted with one, tell that team promptly and explain exactly what happened.
How to recognize a possible phishing email
Phishing messages try to get you to disclose information, click a link, open a file, or take another action that benefits the sender. Warning signs are clues, not a foolproof test: a polished message can still be malicious, and a familiar-looking message can be spoofed. NIST and the FTC describe urgency, suspicious sender details, requests for sensitive information, and unexpected links or attachments as reasons to pause and check. NIST’s phishing guidance and the FTC’s guide to recognizing and avoiding phishing scams outline common tactics.
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- Urgency or pressure: The message says you must act immediately to avoid a payment, account, or other problem.
- Requests for credentials or sensitive details: It asks for a password, account information, financial details, or confidential records.
- Unexpected links or attachments: It urges you to click, download, or open something you were not expecting.
- Sender inconsistencies: The display name may look familiar while the sender address or context seems unusual. A plausible identity is not proof of authenticity.
- Unusual financial or account instructions: A request to change payment details or resolve an urgent account issue deserves independent verification.
Spear-phishing can use personal or workplace details to make a message feel familiar. Do not treat good grammar, a known logo, or a convincing story as evidence that the request is safe.
How to verify a suspicious work message safely
Use a contact method you already know is genuine: for example, a saved phone number, a trusted company directory, or a website address you normally use. Do not reply to the suspicious email or use its links, phone numbers, or reply details to confirm the request. For money, credentials, or sensitive records, follow your organization’s independent verification policy. The FTC and NIST recommend checking through a separate, trusted channel rather than relying on contact information in the questionable message. FTC cybersecurity guidance for small businesses also addresses workplace protections.
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How to report a phishing email at work
- Pause. Do not click, download, reply, or enter credentials while you assess the message.
- Use your employer’s reporting route. Select the organization’s approved report-phishing control or contact its IT/security team using the designated method. The exact process varies by employer and email system; there is no universal internal address.
- Follow local instructions for the message. Your organization may tell you to leave it in place, forward it internally, or preserve it in another way. Use its evidence-handling procedure rather than improvising.
- Verify any request that could be legitimate. Contact the purported colleague, vendor, or institution through a known independent channel.
Report a work-related message to your employer even if you also choose to use a public reporting route. FTC consumer guidance lists forwarding phishing email to the Anti-Phishing Working Group and reporting scams to the FTC, but those options do not replace notifying your organization when a work account or business may be affected. See the FTC’s guidance for public reporting options.
What to do if you clicked, opened, or replied
Tell your IT/security team promptly, even if you are unsure whether anything happened. Give an accurate account of what you did so the organization can assess the risk and respond. Do not conceal a mistake or try to investigate the message on your own.
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- Say whether you clicked a link, opened an attachment, entered credentials, replied, or sent information.
- Share the message and any relevant details using your employer’s incident procedure.
- Follow the team’s directions before taking containment steps that could affect the device or investigation.
The FTC’s business cybersecurity guidance advises changing compromised passwords and disconnecting a device suspected of malware infection from the network. Coordinate these actions with your employer’s IT/security team and its incident procedure rather than acting in a way that could disrupt response. If personal financial or identity information was exposed, the FTC directs affected people to IdentityTheft.gov for recovery guidance. FTC cybersecurity guidance for small businesses covers response considerations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What employers can do to make reporting work
Employers should teach staff both how to recognize suspicious messages and how to report them, make the reporting route easy to find, and establish independent verification for sensitive requests. Training should support the organization’s actual escalation process rather than leave employees guessing what to do.
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Organizations may use phishing simulations as one part of awareness training. NIST’s NIST Phish Scale User Guide, published November 15, 2023, describes a method for rating how difficult simulated phishing emails may be for people to detect. It is an additional assessment method, not a complete measure of readiness or a rating of every aspect of a training provider. FTC business guidance names Microsoft and KnowBe4 as examples of providers offering free phishing simulators; employers should assess training for reporting instruction, accessibility, useful feedback, and fit with their own escalation process. FTC cybersecurity guidance discusses employee education and simulations.
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