Software catches most phishing, but not all of it. These five checks take ten seconds and catch most of what slips through. Print them, pin them, share them.
1. Read the sender, letter by letter
Lookalike domains swap one letter: northbamk instead of northbank, rn instead of m. Read the address, not the name shown above it.
2. Notice the hurry
"Today", "urgent", "before 5 p.m.". Real partners rarely give you an hour to pay. Pressure is the oldest trick there is.
3. Look at what it asks for
New bank details, a password, a gift card, a file you did not expect. Any of these is a reason to stop and check by another channel.
4. Hover before you click
On a computer, rest the mouse on a link and read the address in the corner. On a phone, press and hold. If it does not go where the text says, do not go there.
The best phishing mail looks exactly like a real one. The ask is what gives it away.
5. When in doubt, report it
Use the report button in your mail. With Hexwall, one report checks the mail and removes it from every other inbox if it is bad. Nobody gets in trouble for a false alarm.