Spear-fishing: the scam trick simply explained

Spear fishing (also spear phishing) is a special scam on the Internet. In this article, we explain in a simple way what spear fishing is, how you can protect yourself from being ripped off, and what to look out for in a suspicious email.

Spear fishing: simply explained

If someone spear-phishes, it is an attempt to defraud, which takes place via email. The technology is used to obtain confidential data. In contrast to normal phishing, the sender pretends to be an acquaintance or another trustworthy person.

• Spear phishing attacks are often used by fraudsters to gain confidential or corporate information. This includes finance, business secrets or similarly sensitive information.
• The emails used in spear phishing often look like they come from a trusted source. For example, this could be the manager, a friend or a well-known company.
• In fact, someone else is completely behind the mail. This person then usually asks you to perform a certain action or to disclose certain data.
• Spear phishing victims often fail to notice that they have just been cheated. It is only when strange bills appear or similar damage occurs that people remember the strange email.

How to protect yourself from the scam

There are several things to consider to protect yourself. In spear phishing in particular, it is best to speak to the person in person in order to avoid all risks.

• First check the sender's email. These almost always look suspicious. On closer inspection, however, you will see discrepancies in the sender's URL.
• Check the text of the mail. Does the language seem strange? Are you asked to enter sensitive data?
• If you suspect that an email is suspicious, you should check this more closely. It is best to show the email to your boss or your employees. Don't be afraid to call the supposed sender and ask for confirmation.
• Under no circumstances open files from the mail. These often contain viruses. Fake invoices in particular are often used. We will show you how to recognize them in the next practical tip.

In the next practical tips, we will show you what simple phishing is and how you can recognize fake invoices in emails.