11 Phishing Prevention Best Practices to Keep your Inbox Safe
Phishing attacks are one of the most common ways scammers target your email inbox and steal your identity. Learn 15 easy ways to prevent phishing attacks today.
When David Barnett’s caller ID showed that Bank of America was calling, he quickly answered. The caller informed him that his bank account had been compromised and someone in another state was attempting to withdraw almost half of his life’s savings.
The only way to safeguard his money, Barnett was told, would be to move it temporarily to another account using the payment transfer app Zelle. Confused and scared, he followed the caller’s instructions. But the minute he confirmed the transfer, Barnett realized what was really going on: he was the victim of a phishing attack.
Phishing attacks occur when fraudsters pretend to be people they’re not in order to steal your money, sensitive information, or passwords.
In the first quarter of 2025, the anti-phishing working group (APWG) recorded over a million phishing attempts — the largest number since late 2023.
Understanding the signs of a phishing scam is an essential skill in the digital age. But is it possible to prevent phishing attacks from happening in the first place?
In this guide, we’ll explain how phishing attacks work, the most common types to be aware of, and how to prevent phishing attacks from putting you at risk of identity theft, fraud, and financial losses.
Phishing is a type of imposter scam in which fraudsters pretend to be someone they’re not — usually a representative from a trusted company or government organization — in order to get you to give up sensitive information and money or click on links to malicious websites.
While email is the primary delivery method for phishing attacks, scammers also use phone calls (known as “vishing”), fraudulent text messages (“smishing”), social media messages, and even fake websites.
And as more companies adopt unified communication platforms that connect email, messaging, and voice, a single compromised account can expose multiple channels at once.
Here’s how a phishing attack typically works:
Phishing attacks target everyone — young or old, rich or poor. According to the FBI, Victims of phishing and similar online scams lost a staggering $16 billion, a 33% increase in losses from 2023.
The first step in phishing prevention is to learn how scammers target you with suspicious emails or fraudulent phone calls. Here are the most common types of phishing attacks to be aware of:
Spear phishing occurs when scammers research information about you or your company in order to tailor their phishing attack just for you. Spear phishing often targets business emails in an attempt to gain access to your company’s network and data. Spear phishing accounted for 90% of all data breaches in 2025. Beyond the financial and compliance risks, a successful spear phishing attack can quickly damage customer experience and erode long-term trust in your brand.
Scammers will pose as your boss to get you to fall for their phishing scams. Source: Aura team
Here’s how spear phishing works:
Email spoofing is a type of cyberattack in which hackers use forged or faked email addresses to trick you into thinking they’re someone they’re not. More than 90% of all cyber attacks start with a phishing email.
Here’s how email spoofing works:
Vishing is a type of phone scam in which fraudsters call you and pretend to be a representative from a well-known organization.
Once on the phone, they’ll try and trick you into “confirming” sensitive information or sending them money. Vishing attacks increased by 442% between the first and second halves of 2024.
Here’s how vishing works:
Smishing is a form of phishing in which scammers use fake text messages to trick you into sharing personal identifiable information (PII). Smishing attacks rose by 18% in 2024.
Smishing texts create a sense of urgency to try and get you to click on links or call scammers. Source: Aura
Here’s how smishing works:
Scammers can also send phishing attacks over social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn. The goal with social media phishing is often to get you to give up your account login and password — so that scammers can use your profile to scam your friends. Approximately 12% of clicks to phishing sites originate from social media messages.
Here’s how social media phishing happens:
A phishing website is a malicious website that scammers use to trick you into sharing confidential information. For example, they might create a website that looks like your online banking login page to induce you to enter your account numbers and password.
Here’s how phishing websites work:
Pro tip: Don’t blindly trust “HTTPS.” Cybersecurity experts used to claim that you could identify a fake website if it only had “HTTP” in the URL. Today, however, 83% of phishing websites use “HTTPS” to give users a false sense of security.
While you’ll never be able to block or prevent all phishing attacks, these tips will help reduce your risk of being targeted.
Scammers are constantly updating their phishing schemes. And unfortunately, 97% of people can’t recognize sophisticated phishing attempts. To prevent falling victim to these attacks, it’s essential that you learn to recognize their red flags.
Warning signs of a phishing attack include:
The majority of phishing attacks happen via email. And unfortunately, scammers have learned how to bypass basic email security in order to get their scam messages into your email inbox. To avoid receiving spam and scam emails, update your spam filters to block out more potential phishing attacks.
On the flip side, if you’re responsible for legitimate outreach, following the best practices will ensure your cold emails are transparent, relevant, and less likely to be mistaken for phishing.
Here’s how to customize your spam filters in:
Antivirus software scans your computer, phone, and inbox for signs of malware. Many antivirus solutions also include a firewall to prevent you from visiting phishing sites or accidentally downloading malware contained in email links.
In Addition secure and reliable software development practices play a key role in link building antivirus tools that can proactively detects threads and protect user across devices
While antivirus software won’t stop phishing attacks, it can help you avoid some of the worst consequences of getting scammed. For businesses, technical tools like antivirus software are only part of the equation. Many organizations now partner with top security awareness training vendors to ensure their teams can recognize and respond to phishing attempts that technology alone cannot stop.
Phishing scams often try to get you to enter information on fake websites. If you receive a text message, email, or message that claims to be from a company that you know and trust and asks you to click on a link, don’t. Instead, visit the site directly to make sure you’re not getting scammed.
For example, a recent UPS text message scam claims that you missed a package delivery and need to click on a link to reschedule. But the website you’re taken to steals your credit card and personal information.
Instead, always visit the site in question directly. In this case, go to the official UPS.com site and check the tracking number for your package.
The same goes for attachments in unsolicited messages. Cybercriminals use email attachments to install malware that damages your device or steals your data.
Phishing attackers need your personal information to target you (email address, phone number, etc.). There are many ways for scammers to get your information — such as finding it online or through data breaches.
But one of the easiest methods for scammers is to buy massive lists of contact information from data brokers.
Data brokers collect and sell your contact information to telemarketers, advertisers, and scammers. You can request that data brokers remove your information from their lists. Or better yet, let Aura do it for you.
It can be tempting to reply to scam emails, calls, or texts — even just to tell off the scammer. But any interaction with a phishing attacker can open you up to unnecessary risks.
Scammers will say anything to try and get you to respond to them. Source: Aura team
Replying to a phishing email (or even sending “STOP” to a text message) confirms that your contact information is active. You might also accidentally be giving scammers more information about you, such as whatever is in your email signature (name, phone number, job title, etc.).
Whatever you do, never give away passwords, PINs, or 2FA codes via email, text, or phone calls. Companies will never ask for this kind of sensitive information.
Even worse, with 72% of people reusing passwords across personal accounts, you could accidentally be giving scammers access to your entire digital life.
The less information about you that scammers can access, the fewer phishing attacks and security threats you’ll receive. Whenever you sign up for a new online service, give them the minimal amount of required information.
Public Wi-Fi and unsecured networks are notoriously easy to hack. When scammers gain access to a Wi-Fi network you’re using, they can intercept your messages and steal critical information, such as saved passwords, financial account information, and login details. They can also target your devices with malicious pop-ups and phishing messages.
Whenever you have to use your computer or device in public, use either a mobile hotspot or a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN encrypts your data so that hackers can’t intercept your sensitive information and use it in a phishing attack.
Cybercriminals use pop-ups to distribute spyware, adware, and other destructive malware. Often, they’ll include messages that claim your device has been infected with malware — and that you need to call tech support to resolve the issue. But this is all part of an elaborate phishing scam.
Ignore these pop-ups and instead close your browser. If you think you may have been hacked, here’s what to look for and what to do.
Scammers are masters at human psychology. They use threatening language or the promise of an incredible deal to bypass your alarm instincts. But reputable companies will never threaten you if you don’t disclose personal information.
Whenever you feel a sense of urgency from a message or phone call, slow down. This is a major warning sign of a phishing attack.
Instead, contact the company directly (if you’re on the phone, ask for a reference number and then hang up). This way, you know for sure that you’re talking to the real company.
Software updates often include security patches for known vulnerabilities that hackers can otherwise exploit to hack into your computer and mobile phone. Always update your software and operating system immediately. Even better, enable auto-updates to make sure that your device automatically stays as secure as possible.
Outside of software updates, it’s important to safeguard your accounts. At a minimum, you should follow these cyber hygiene guidelines:
Scammers continuously enhance their phishing attacks to prey on human weakness and exploit vulnerabilities in your devices.
Instead of worrying about how to defend against phishing, a proactive approach ensures that you have protection against the latest phishing techniques.