How to Spot Phishing Emails and Protect Your Website

July 4th, 2025
How to spot phishing attempts

To start a website for your business without first educating yourself on basic security concerns is like firing a cannon out of a canoe: you might make a splash, but your foundations won’t be secure or stable.

At Webnode, we take your security seriously. Let’s take a deep dive into phishing emails so that you have all the information you need to spot malicious intent inside your inbox today.

Index

Understanding Phishing Emails

We all know fake emails exist, but few people are experts on phishing attack prevention. And if that includes you, that’s okay. Let’s begin by asking, What is a phishing email?

Phishing is a cybercrime where scammers usually pretend to be an organization in an attempt to trick unsuspecting people or businesses into giving up personal information. Communication is done through email, and the kind of information they desire might include:

  • login details, such as usernames and passwords
  • credit card numbers
  • social security numbers
  • or any other sensitive information that can be exploited for financial gain

Alternatively, these emails might trick recipients into downloading dangerous malware onto their computer or other devices, which is usually done by getting them to click on malicious links or to download infected attachments.

Why is the scam called phishing

The term “phishing” comes from the word “fishing”, with “f” switched out for “ph”. This is a nod to the 1990s hacker and underground computer subcultures, which had their own unique in-group slang and spelling. Unlike regular fishing, emails are the “bait” used to “hook” fish – except in this case the fish are unsuspecting email users.

Scammers know some computer users are better at filtering out fraudulent emails from authentic ones. To run phishing scams effectively, they learned to “cast a wide net”, often pursuing a strategy of volume rather than quality. Ironically, the people who fall for these obviously harmful emails are ideal victims, as they are easier to manipulate and exploit in follow-up scams.

However, phishing emails have become more and more sophisticated over the years, giving even the most tech-savvy pause for thought. Regardless of your familiarity with technology, it’s best to be vigilant. The sooner you learn how to spot phishing emails, the better.

Key Characteristics of Phishing Emails

Fortunately, there are several characteristics of phishing emails that you can watch out for, starting now. If you can remember these, you’ll be able to scan your inbox with the efficiency of a detective and prevent yourself from getting scammed. Here are the red flags:

An infographic showing signs of phishing emails

Some common signs of phishing emails.

  • Generic or missing greeting – Phishers don’t usually have much information about you beyond what’s publicly available or obvious from your email address. Their emails might lack personalization or miss a greeting/salutation entirely.
  • Requests for personal data – They need sensitive information to complete their scam.
  • Unfamiliar or strange links – Watch out for hyperlinks or buttons. These might send you to forms requiring you to enter sensitive login details.
  • Unsolicited attachments – Rarely do companies or organizations send unsolicited attachments. If something looks suspicious, don’t download it.
  • Unofficial or weird sender address – This will probably look different from the official address you are familiar with. While some addresses are obviously unprofessional or fake, others look convincing or plausible.
  • Poor spelling and grammar – Scammers are potentially young or live in foreign countries. Some phishing emails are hastily made, and you might spot spelling mistakes, unnatural grammar, or other errors.

It’s rare that a malicious email will feature all possible signs of a phishing email, but detecting even one of them means you should treat it as suspicious. If something “smells fishy”, it’s best to proceed with caution.

A phishing email checklist to help you detect scams

Another email has just arrived in your inbox. You spot one characteristic that may or may not indicate that it’s a phishing attack, but you’re still unsure. Here’s a checklist for you to go through when inspecting a new email, including some clues we haven’t yet mentioned:

A checklist on how to spot phishing emails

Your phishing email prevention checklist.

1) Double-check the sender – A familiar name can be faked. Look at the full email address.
2) Watch for spelling and grammar mistakes – They’re a common red flag.
3) Never share personal info via email – Legit companies won’t ask for it this way.
4) Be cautious of urgency or threats – Scammers want you to catch you off guard. They want you panic and act fast.
5) Hover before you click – Hovering your mouse cursor over a link without clicking it will allow you to preview the URL and check if it’s suspicious.
6) Avoid opening attachments – Especially from unexpected or unknown sources.
7) Check the signature – Missing or generic sign-offs can be a sign of fraud.
8) Keep your devices and apps updated – Security patches protect you.
9) When in doubt, reach out – Contact the company directly using trusted methods (you can also take screenshots of the suspicious emails as evidence).
10) Search for inconsistencies – Compare the email tone, branding, or format with past messages from the same organization. If something feels “off”, it probably is.

The Phishing Attack on Webnode

Phishing attacks can happen to anyone, and even the most observant internet users who are familiar with phishing can be tricked if a malicious email catches them off guard after a long day.

Furthermore, all organizations must be aware that scammers might wish to impersonate them in order to steal their clients’ information, regardless of their size. The client of a small business might use the same login details with them as they do for their personal bank account, for example. Sadly, Webnode isn’t immune to phishing attacks.

In June 2025, there were reports from our users about attempts to steal their login and personal information using fake email addresses and websites that resembled Webnode’s legitimate site. We take these attacks on our users with the utmost seriousness. We added a banner to your website administration and sent out a newsletter immediately advising caution and vigilance.

What the phishing email looked like

Check out this phishing attack example. How many of the signs of phishing emails can you see?

An example of a phishing email targeting Webnode users.

This is an example of a real phishing attempt.

It includes a generic greeting, unofficial email address, links asking for very sensitive information, and bad spelling – “payment methode”.

How Webnode Tackles Email Phishing Attacks

Webnode is committed to continued customer support and the security of its users. Please remember:

  • Webnode will only contact you from email addresses ending in @webnode.xx (e.g. .com, .nl, .pt, etc.) – always check the sender address is correct before taking any action advised in an email.
  • and most importantly, if you receive an email from any other domain, it’s not us, so do not do as prompted in the email.

Two-factor login authentication:

Webnode released two-factor authentication login, where two forms of identity are needed to prove who you are. The first factor is your username and password. Once these are verified, you’ll need to provide a second factor of identification via email.

If you’re interested in safety features that extend beyond how to spot phishing emails, such as how to block IP addresses and countries, form protection, and antivirus scanning, you can read about our premium website security.

Threats of Phishing Emails

Now we know what phishing emails are and how to identify them, we can consider what the scammers themselves want to do with your precious personal information once they have it. The damage can cause lasting harm to you or your business. Below are three of the most significant threats posed by phishing emails.

Identity theft

One of the most common outcomes of a successful phishing attack is identity theft. When attackers gain access to personal details such as your name, address, birthdate, or social security number, they can assume your identity in a variety of situations. They might open new credit or debit accounts, apply for loans, claim state benefits, or commit fraud in your name – often without you realizing until it’s too late.

Recovering from identity theft is time-consuming, stressful, and requires evidence gathering. The fallout can seriously damage your credit with institutions and your reputation.

Financial loss

Phishing scams frequently target financial information like bank account details, credit card numbers, or login credentials to online payment services. Once attackers have this access, they can quickly transfer funds, make unauthorized purchases, or install malware designed to drain your accounts over time, right under your nose.

For businesses, the financial impact can be even more severe, especially if payroll systems or vendor payments are compromised.

Data breaches

Phishing doesn’t just affect individuals. Many attacks are aimed at employees to gain access to company networks and confidential data. When a phisher gets past your organization’s defenses, they may trigger a large-scale data breach, exposing sensitive customer data, trade secrets, or internal systems.

This can result in legal penalties, loss of client trust, and long-term damage to your reputation. Depending on the laws applicable to you and the context, you may be responsible for compensating your customers, especially if negligence can be proven.

Additionally, any details stolen from you might be held for ransom. If for example phishers gained access to your Instagram account or website and locked you out, them might promise to return it safely for a hefty price. However, there is no guarantee they will keep their promise. In fact, it’s better to assume they won’t.

What to Do if You Receive a Phishing Email

Most internet users have received phishing emails of varying qualities in their lifetime. If you are unfortunate enough to receive a phishing email from someone pretending to be Webnode, don’t panic. Here are our do’s and don’ts:

Don’t:

  • Click any links or download attachments ❌
  • Reply to the sender ❌
  • Forward the fraudulent messages to anyone else ❌

Do:

  • Report the email to: phishing@webnode.com ✅
  • Take screenshots ✅
  • Delete the email ✅

Closing Thoughts on Phishing

Anyone, be they a private individual or company, can be the target of a phishing attack. Fortunately, there are several ways how to recognize phishing emails in inboxes that can prevent you from giving up sensitive or personal information to bad actors.

Webnode takes the security of its customers seriously. We continue to monitor such attacks and update users through newsletters and our social media. Meanwhile, we implement modern services such as two-factor authentication to keep you safe.

Remember how to report phishing emails? If you find something “smells fishy” in your inbox, contact us immediately at phishing@webnode.com.

Learn more about how to secure your website