I talk about phishing emails all the time, and how important it is to know how to spot them. But dealing with phishing emails in your inbox can be dicey—which is why I took Google’s Phishing Quiz to see if I really know as much as I think.
What Is Google’s Phishing Quiz?
As it sounds,Google’s Phishing Quizhelps you learn to spot the signs of phishing emails. It takes you through ten questions designed to trip you up and make you click something you shouldn’t. Though, as Google puts it, “None of the links will work—we don’t want to send you anywhere funny!”
Now, Google’s Phishing Quiz isn’t difficult, but it’s an interesting examination of all the issues we face in our inboxes. Some phishing email examples are quite obvious, but others require closer scrutiny.
For example, the first question is a classic phishing email tactic: Hiding a fake email address as what looks like a button with a legitimate link. Everything appears to be above board, but if you hover over the final link, it directs to a completely different URL, taking you outside of Google Drive. That’s a clear sign you’re heading to a phishing site designed to steal your data.
9 Examples of Fraud and Phishing Emails to Watch Out For
How can you spot a phishing email? Here are the numerous types of fake messages you need to be wary of.
Google’s Phishing Quiz Lets You Brush Up Your Skills Without Risk
Although Google’s Phishing Quiz is hardly a taxing assault on your actual inbox (wherephishing emails and scams are rampant), it’s useful to look at these specific examples without the worry that you’re actually going to lose your data, send money to someone, or have your accounts stolen.
I like that each phishing example is annotated and clearly explains what to look out for and how that can apply to other types of phishing scams. For example, a fake PayPal invoice requesting several hundred dollars appears to originate from an official PayPal address. You’re then relying on spotting the other clear issues in the phishing email, such as the email really being a “Note from seller” rather than an invoice from PayPal.
What makes Google’s Phishing Quiz useful is that there are some legitimate emails scattered throughout to keep you on your toes. Once you’ve spotted a few scam emails or invoices, your confidence invariably builds, so having a legit email that you still have to scrutinize is a useful confirmation of your skills.
How to Spot a Phishing Attack
Google’s Phishing Quiz is a genuinely useful reminder of what to expect from a phishing attack, with practical examples to help guide your way. As said, most of the time, it’s best to remove phishing emails and other nasties from our inboxes without interacting with them. That way, you’re certain to avoid accidentally clicking a link or indicating that your email account is active.
However, from time to time, your email spam filter won’t catch something designed to steal your data, which is why you should always check for a phishing attack:
Oh, and if you’re wondering how I did on Google’s Phishing Quiz, I scored 8 out of 10. I must admit that I missed one of the fake links and was over-cautious on another question. Still, better over-cautious than clicking through to a phishing scam!
