Dissecting a Spam Email - updated 2025

Our CFO recently received a very realistic email from a company indicating some training our CEO requested that was past due with a "note from the CEO to pay immediately." Without checking directly with our CEO by phone, this invoice could easily have been paid with no recourse for us to retrieve the payment.

Why It Matters More Than Ever

Attackers aren’t sending clumsy, typo-filled scams anymore. Today’s phishing emails and “callback” scams are polished, fast, and designed to steal logins or trick you on the phone—no malware required. One rushed click or reply can be enough to hand over an account.

The takeaway: learning to quickly dissect suspicious emails is now basic business hygiene.

What changed this year:

  • Speed: Modern attackers move from “first foot in the door” to “spreading inside your account/system” in minutes. You don’t get much time to fix a mistake.
  • Social engineering first: Email, voice calls, and help-desk tricks are the front door. Many attacks skip malware entirely and go straight for your login.
  • AI polish: Scams look cleaner, read better, and feel more authentic—so typos are no longer a reliable tell.

The new anatomy of a suspicious email (30-second scan)

Before you click, reply, pay, or share codes, run this quick check:

1

Sender reality check

Hover/tap to see the real From address. If it claims to be a coworker or vendor, verify using a separate channel (phone/Teams/Slack) — not by replying to the email.

2

Links & buttons

Hover to preview the URL. Real links match the brand’s domain. Beware look-alikes and link shorteners. Skip unexpected QR codes.

3

Urgency or unusual ask

“Act in 15 minutes,” “send the MFA code,” “call this number to unlock your account.” That immediate action pressure is often the entry point.

4

Attachments

Unexpected invoices/zips/docs — even in a real thread — are a red flag. Confirm using a different vehicle: phone, txt, Slack, etc.

5

Tone & context

AI means perfect grammar, so ask: Should this person be asking me this? If the request is money, credentials, gift cards, or MFA codes, treat it as hostile until proven safe.

Grab the printable version:

Dissect a Suspicious Email — 30-Second Checklist (PDF)

Copy of the email our CFO received. Click to enlarge.

Dissecting a Spam Email Image

If you already clicked or replied, do this now

  • Change your password immediately (and anywhere you reused it).
  • Enable or rotate MFA; assume codes may have been captured.
  • Tell IT/security so they can check for suspicious logins or active sessions.

What this means for small businesses

  • Train for modern tricks: include vishing (phone), callback scams, and help-desk imposters in your drills.
  • Lock down identity: phishing-resistant MFA, clear help-desk rules (“we never reset based on email/call alone”), and fast account removal when staff leave.
  • Limit the blast radius: least-privilege access and alerts for logins from new locations/devices.
  • Respond in minutes, not hours: make it easy for staff to report suspicious messages.

Remember Cyber Security is everyone's responsibility. Train your employees for Six-S. One-minute checklist (repeatable habit)

STOP

Take a breath before you act.

Source

Verify the sender through another channel.

Scan

Hover links, ignore QR codes, watch for look-alikes.

Story

Pressure + unusual ask = likely scam.

Safe Path

Visit the site yourself in a new browser tab or incognito mode.

Share

Report and delete.