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When fraudsters go phishing for valuable information, anyone could be a target. They will hook an unknowing victim with a genuine-looking email, in a bid to get them to share personal information, or bank details.

“Year on year, the amount of people reporting phishing emails and texts is growing. Action Fraud is urging everyone to be extra vigilant of suspicious-looking emails landing in their inbox, which could contain malicious links leading to unknown websites. 

“Remember, if you think you have received a phishing email or text message, make sure you report it. You can forward emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, or forward spam text messages to 7726.”

What is phishing?

'Phishing', ‘quishing’ or ‘smishing’ is when criminals use scam emails, text messages, QR codes, or phone calls to trick victims.

Whether it’s an email asking you to “verify” your bank account details, or a text message claiming you’ve missed a delivery and are required to pay a redelivery fee, the goal is usually the same - to trick you into revealing personal and financial information.

How can you protect yourself?

Fake emails and text messages can be difficult to spot as criminals are constantly creating genuine-looking messages.

Here’s some practical advice you can follow when it comes to dealing with phishing: