Why You Should Never Click on Suspicious Links
Updated · Mar 15, 2025
Did you know that, according to Keepnet Labs, 36% of data breaches in the United States are a result of phishing? And data breaches aren’t the only trouble. Identity theft, financial losses, reputational damage, and emotional distress are other factors that people deal with after clicking on an at-first-sight innocent link.
While many are aware that some links can be dangerous, others don’t know about this. If you want to learn more about this malicious practice, keep reading our blog post.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Identifying Suspicious Links
Recognizing suspicious links serves as the first defense against phishing attacks. With cybercriminals becoming increasingly sophisticated, staying vigilant is crucial. Most phishing attacks come disguised as legitimate emails from reputable companies, friends, or acquaintances, aiming to trick you into clicking a phishing link or downloading malware.
Here’s what to do the second you have doubts about a link:
Check the Sender’s Email Address
When receiving an email, first check the sender’s email address. Phishing emails often come from addresses that look legitimate at first glance but contain slight misspellings or odd domain names. For instance, an email might appear to be from “Amazon” but uses a domain like “amaz0n.com” instead of “amazon.com”.
If the sender’s email address seems suspicious, avoid engaging with any links or attachments. Verify the email address against previous legitimate communications or contact the sender through known channels to report suspicious emails.
Inspect the URL Before Clicking
Hover over any link to inspect the URL before clicking. Phishing links often mimic legitimate company web addresses with minor alterations, such as changing letters or using different extensions. For example, “yourbank.com” might be altered to “yourb4nk.com” to trick you into believing it’s the real site.
Double-check the URL for discrepancies. If unsure, type the company’s official website directly into your browser rather than clicking the link.
Be Wary of Urgent or Fearful Language
Phishing messages often employ scare tactics to create a sense of urgency, urging you to act fast to avoid penalties or gain rewards. This phishing message manipulation exploits emotional responses, which makes you more likely to click links in a phishing email without proper scrutiny.
Messages using urgent or fearful language should be assessed for legitimacy. Look for signs like grammatical errors, generic greetings, or slight misspellings that could indicate a phishing attempt in text messages or emails.
What to Do if You Encounter a Suspicious Link
Avoid Clicking on the Link
Upon encountering a suspicious link, avoid clicking on it. Verify the message’s authenticity through official channels, as suspicious messages often come from unknown senders or contain unusual requests, including a malicious link.
Double-check before taking any action to protect yourself from phishing attacks.
Report the Message
Reporting phishing messages is vital for mitigating risks and protecting others. Many organizations offer easy ways to report phishing emails through embedded tools in email clients. For instance, if you’re using Microsoft Teams or Outlook, you can report the message directly from the interface.
Promptly reporting phishing attempts enables organizations to respond swiftly and effectively to threats. Ensure you know how to report suspicious messages within your organization to help protect against phishing scams.
Delete the Suspicious Message
After identifying and reporting a suspicious message, delete it to prevent accidental clicks or continued phishing attempts.
Deleting the message removes the immediate threat and reduces the chances of falling victim to malicious links.
Protecting Your Devices from Phishing Attacks
Install Security Software
Security software serves as the first defense against phishing attacks and other malicious software. Regularly updating antivirus software and anti-malware software ensures protection against the latest threats. Set security software to update automatically to avoid missing critical updates.
A password manager enhances security by generating and storing complex passwords, making it harder for attackers to guess your login credentials.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring more than one form of verification to access your accounts, such as a password, phone, or fingerprint.
Enabling MFA greatly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if your password is compromised.
Regularly Update Your Operating System
Regularly updating your operating system closes security loopholes that phishing attempts might exploit. Set your system to update automatically to ensure you always have the latest security patches and features.
Responding to Phishing Attempts
Change Your Passwords
If you suspect a phishing attack, the first step is to change your passwords, ensuring they are unique and complex.
A password manager can help generate and store these passwords securely.
Scan Your Device for Malware
After a phishing attempt, updating and running a scan with your security software is essential to identify and remove any dangerous malware. Regular manual scans can catch malware that automatic scans might miss.
For mobile devices, check all installed apps and remove any unknown ones. Reviewing storage usage can also help identify malicious content.
Monitor Financial Accounts
Monitoring financial accounts for unexpected transactions is crucial to detect identity theft early. Regularly reviewing bank statements and account activities helps spot and address fraudulent activities promptly.
Recognizing Common Phishing Tactics
Fake Websites
Phishing scams frequently involve fake websites designed to look like legitimate companies. These fraudulent websites trick users into entering sensitive information, leading to identity theft and other forms of fraud.
Spoofed Emails
Spoofed emails are a common phishing tactic where scammers alter the sender’s address to appear as a trusted source. These emails mimic real addresses with slight alterations, making them seem legitimate.
Social Media Scams
Phishing attempts on social media often disguise themselves as messages from friends or followers, lowering users’ defenses. Scammers may create fake profiles that mimic real accounts to deceive you into clicking malicious links.
Tajammul Pangarkar is the co-founder of a PR firm and the Chief Technology Officer at Prudour Research Firm. With a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology from Shivaji University, Tajammul brings over ten years of expertise in digital marketing to his roles. He excels at gathering and analyzing data, producing detailed statistics on various trending topics that help shape industry perspectives. Tajammul's deep-seated experience in mobile technology and industry research often shines through in his insightful analyses. He is keen on decoding tech trends, examining mobile applications, and enhancing general tech awareness. His writings frequently appear in numerous industry-specific magazines and forums, where he shares his knowledge and insights. When he's not immersed in technology, Tajammul enjoys playing table tennis. This hobby provides him with a refreshing break and allows him to engage in something he loves outside of his professional life. Whether he's analyzing data or serving a fast ball, Tajammul demonstrates dedication and passion in every endeavor.
