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// CYBER THREAT

Phishing explained

Phishing emails trick you into handing over passwords, money or personal details. Here’s how to recognise them and keep yourself and your business safe.

Protect Yourself Free IT Health Check
  • ● Plain English
  • ● How to protect yourself
  • ● Real help on call

By the 365 Techies team · Reviewed 15 October 2026

/01 — WHAT IT IS

Know your enemy

Phishing is when criminals send fake emails (or messages) pretending to be a company or person you trust — your bank, Microsoft, a supplier, even your boss — to trick you into clicking a link, opening a file or handing over details.

They rely on urgency and familiarity. A moment’s pause and a few checks defeat almost all of them.

  • Unexpected ‘urgent’ requests
  • Slightly wrong sender addresses
  • Links that don’t match the text
  • Requests for passwords or payment
  • Spelling and grammar slips
  • Generic ‘Dear customer’ greetings

/02 — HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Stay one step ahead

  • Pause and check

    Never act on urgency — verify the sender first.

  • Hover before you click

    Check where a link really goes before clicking.

  • Email filtering

    We filter most phishing out before it reaches you.

  • MFA everywhere

    A stolen password alone won’t get them in.

  • Verify money requests

    Confirm payment or detail changes by phone.

  • Ask us

    Subscribers can always ask ‘is this safe?’

Malwarebytes blocks threats like this in real time. We supply it, install it properly and keep an eye on it: £2.50 a month for a home computer, or £4.50 per computer a month for businesses.

Ask us about Malwarebytes

Watch: is this email a scam?

The warning signs, checking a link without opening it, and where to report it in the UK.

1 min 37 s · a spoken guide with captions · the emails are made up · Watch on YouTube

Free tools in the film: Link Safety Checker · Spot the Scam quiz · Techies One Mail for Windows

What the video says

Got an email that doesn’t feel right? Here’s how to check it in under a minute, and where to report it in the UK. It’s free, and it helps stop the scammers. Step one: look for the warning signs. Scam emails pretend to be a company you know, like Royal Mail or your bank. They rush you, and ask you to click a link or pay a small fee. Here, the sender’s address isn’t really Royal Mail’s, and it wants £1.45 within 24 hours. That’s a scam. While it’s open, our free Techies One Mail app checks new emails for these signs, and moves likely scams to a Scams folder, with the reasons why. Step two: check a link before you click it. Copy the link, and paste it into our free Link Safety Checker. It only reads the address, and never opens the page. This one uses a number instead of a proper name, and it isn’t secure. So don’t click it. Step three: report it. Forward the email to report@phishing.gov.uk. That’s the National Cyber Security Centre’s free service. Then delete it. Got a scam text? Forward it to 7726. If you’ve already clicked, paid, or shared your details, call your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card, and report it to Report Fraud. And you can practise spotting scams with our free quiz.

/03 — IF YOU’VE BEEN HIT

What to do right now

  1. 01

    Don’t panic, do tell us

    If you clicked or shared details, contact us straight away.

  2. 02

    Change passwords

    Reset the affected password and any that match it; turn on MFA.

  3. 03

    We secure & check

    We lock down accounts, check for damage and prevent a repeat.

// NEED THIS FIXED RIGHT NOW?

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// MORE THREATS EXPLAINED

Know the other scams too

// GOOD QUESTIONS

Frequently asked

What should I do if I clicked a phishing link?

Don’t enter any details, disconnect if prompted to download anything, and contact us to check your accounts and device.

How can I tell if an email is phishing?

Look for urgency, mismatched sender addresses, odd links and requests for credentials or payment — and when unsure, ask us.

Can phishing be stopped?

Email filtering, MFA and awareness stop the vast majority — we set all three up.

Worried about phishing?

We protect Dorset homes and businesses from threats like this every day — with layered security, Malwarebytes Premium and a real person to ask.

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