{"id":207,"date":"2025-05-25T09:41:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-25T08:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/?p=207"},"modified":"2025-11-14T09:46:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T09:46:30","slug":"what-are-the-different-types-of-phishing-and-how-can-you-protect-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/what-are-the-different-types-of-phishing-and-how-can-you-protect-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the different types of phishing? And how can you protect yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Most of us have received a weird email or sketchy&nbsp;text message&nbsp;at some point or another&nbsp;that made us pause for a second. Was that really from your bank? Did your CEO actually just&nbsp;ask you to buy \u00a3500 in gift cards? Welcome to the world of phishing, where cybercriminals go \u201cfishing\u201d&nbsp;for your personal data, only their hooks are fake emails, text messages, and even voice calls.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Phishing is one of the most common forms of cybercrime out there, and it\u2019s&nbsp;getting sneakier by the day. But don\u2019t&nbsp;worry, once you understand the different types, you\u2019ll&nbsp;be much better prepared to avoid falling for them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Phishing (the classic email scam)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the OG of phishing. Classic email phishing typically involves an email that looks legit, for example, it might claim to be from your bank, PayPal, Netflix, or even a coworker.&nbsp;They are usually&nbsp;carefully created to match company logos,&nbsp;and nowadays the grammar&nbsp;tends to be good because of AI tools.&nbsp;The goal&nbsp;is to trick you into clicking a link, downloading a file, or entering your login credentials.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How it works:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You get an email saying your account has been compromised or payment is due. It includes a link. You panic, click it, and then your login details are in the wrong hands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to protect yourself:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Always check the sender&#8217;s email address carefully.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hover over links (don\u2019t\u00a0click!) to see where they really go.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t\u00a0download attachments from unknown sources.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use multi-factor authentication (MFA)\u00a0whenever possible.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smishing (SMS phishing)&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Smishing is phishing through SMS (text messages). It\u2019s&nbsp;short, snappy, and often urgent. You might get a message like \u201cYour package delivery is delayed, click here to reschedule,\u201d followed by a malicious link.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why it works:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We trust our phones. We also tend to respond quickly to texts, especially if they seem urgent or related to money, deliveries, or personal accounts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to protect yourself:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Be sceptical\u00a0of messages from unknown numbers.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t\u00a0click on short links in texts unless you\u2019re\u00a0expecting them.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If it seems fishy, go to the website directly instead of clicking the link.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Report smishing messages to your mobile provider (usually by forwarding\u00a0to 7726).\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Voice phishing (vishing)&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Vishing is phishing done over voice calls. Yep, people are still using phones for scams. You might get a call from someone pretending to be from your bank, the IRS, tech support, or even your boss.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How it works:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The caller creates a sense of urgency. \u201cThere\u2019s suspicious activity on your account.\u201d Or&nbsp;\u201cYour computer has been hacked, and we need remote access.\u201d They want you to give up sensitive info or install something on your device.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to protect yourself:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Never give out personal or financial info over the phone unless you initiated\u00a0the call.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hang up and call the organisation back using the number on their official website.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be suspicious of caller ID, scammers can spoof numbers to make it look legit.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">QR code phishing (quishing)&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>QR codes are everywhere now, from menus&nbsp;to car parks. But scammers are getting creative by replacing real QR codes with fake ones.&nbsp;You scan it, and you\u2019re&nbsp;sent to a malicious website or prompted to download malware.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why it\u2019s\u00a0tricky:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re&nbsp;trained to trust QR codes, especially in places like restaurants or on printed materials. But that trust can be exploited.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to protect yourself:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Only scan QR codes from sources you trust.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid scanning random QR codes in public spaces or on suspicious emails.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If a QR code opens a login page or asks for credentials, stop and think\u00a0to yourself whether that makes sense for what you\u2019re\u00a0trying to do.\u00a0\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spear phishing&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Spear phishing is&nbsp;a very personal form of phishing as it\u2019s&nbsp;when a scammer targets you specifically. They might know your name, your job, your colleagues, or even what projects you\u2019re&nbsp;working on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How it works:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s&nbsp;say you\u2019re&nbsp;in finance. You get an email that looks like it\u2019s&nbsp;from your CFO, asking you to approve a wire transfer. They might use insider terms or reference real company detail&nbsp;because they\u2019ve&nbsp;done their homework.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to protect yourself:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Always verify unusual requests, especially when money is involved.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use a second communication method to confirm, like calling or messaging on Slack.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be cautious with what you share on LinkedIn or social media\u00a0as attackers use that info.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Whaling (big fish&nbsp;phishing)&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whaling is like spear phishing, but it targets the high rollers, executives, and CEOs. Because of their access to sensitive information and financial power, they&#8217;re&nbsp;big targets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How it works:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A cybercriminal might impersonate the CEO and send an urgent request to finance: \u201cWe\u2019re acquiring a company, keep this quiet and wire the funds ASAP.\u201d These emails are carefully crafted and often appear incredibly legitimate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to protect yourself:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Executives should be trained just like everyone else\u00a0as no one\u2019s\u00a0above being scammed.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Implement strong internal approval processes for money transfers or sensitive data.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encourage a culture where employees feel safe verifying requests\u00a0that are out of the norm, no matter who it comes from.\u00a0\u2028<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Need some support with your organisation\u2019s cyber security? <a href=\"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/contact-us\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"67\">Contact us<\/a> today\u202fto find out how we can help.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most of us have received a weird email or sketchy&nbsp;text message&nbsp;at some point or another&nbsp;that made us pause for a second. Was that really from&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207\/revisions\/208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/westmidlandscrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}