Phishing Scams Targeting Small Businesses: What to Look For

The Evolution of Phishing

Today's phishing emails are highly targeted and grammatically perfect (thanks to AI).

They are designed to look like a vendor invoice, an urgent message from the boss, or a security alert from Microsoft.

Red Flags Your Team Must Know

1. The Urgent Request

Hackers create a false sense of urgency so you act before thinking: "Urgent: Wire Transfer Required" or "Your Account Will Be Suspended in 24 Hours."

2. The Mismatched Sender Address

The name might say "Microsoft Support," but if you click on the email address, it actually says support@micr0soft-security-update.com. Always verify the actual email address, not just the display name.

3. Unusual Requests from Leadership

A classic scam is an email pretending to be the CEO or owner, asking an employee to quickly buy gift cards for a "client presentation." Train your team to always verify unusual requests via phone or in person.

4. Suspicious Links and Attachments

Never click a link to log into an account. Go directly to the website yourself. Be extremely wary of unexpected PDF or ZIP attachments, especially invoices you weren't expecting.

5. Generic Greetings

While targeted attacks will use your name, many phishing emails still use generic greetings like "Dear Customer" or "Valued Employee."

Train Your Human Firewall

Technology can only block so much. Your employees are your last line of defense. Ask us about security awareness training, or take the Cyber Risk Quiz to see how exposed you are.

Frequently asked questions