Recognising a phishing message before you click anything

This piece for UpdateSee collects the advice that holds up in practice.

Phishing messages imitate banks, delivery companies, employers or friends to trick people into sharing passwords or payment details. Common signs include a sense of urgency, a request to confirm account information, a greeting that does not use your name and a link whose real address differs from the organisation it claims to be. Many now arrive by text message as well as email.

Phishing messages imitate banks, delivery companies, employers or friends to trick people into sharing passwords or payment details.

The safest habit is to never act from inside the message itself. If something looks plausible, open the official app or type the website address yourself and check there. Report suspicious messages using the tools your email provider offers, then delete them. If you have already entered a password, change it immediately and turn on two-step verification for that account.