How to Spot a Phishing Email Before You Click (And What to Do When One Gets Through)

Your inbox is a battlefield. Every day, phishing emails land alongside legitimate messages, and the fakes are getting harder to distinguish from the real thing. For businesses in O'Fallon, MO and across the greater St. Louis region, email remains the number one attack vector for data breaches, ransomware, and financial fraud.

The good news: most phishing emails share common traits. Once you know what to look for, you can catch them before they cause damage. Here's what actually works.

The Anatomy of a Modern Phishing Email

Forget the old stereotype of broken English and Nigerian prince schemes. Today's phishing emails often look identical to real messages from Microsoft, DocuSign, your bank, or even your own CEO. Attackers use stolen branding, real company logos, and sometimes actual data scraped from LinkedIn or public records to make their messages convincing.

Here are the red flags that still give them away:

1. The Sender Address Doesn't Match

This is the single most reliable check. The display name might say "Microsoft 365 Team," but the actual email address could be something like admin@msft-security-notice.com instead of a real Microsoft domain. Always expand the sender details and read the full address. Watch out for:

• Lookalike domains (micros0ft.com, docusign-notify.net)
• Free email addresses (gmail, outlook) posing as corporate senders
• Long, random strings before the @ symbol

2. Urgency and Pressure Tactics

Phishing emails almost always create a sense of panic. "Your account will be suspended in 24 hours." "Unauthorized login detected." "Payment failed, update immediately." Legitimate companies rarely threaten you with deadlines measured in hours.

If an email makes you feel like you need to act right now , that's the moment to slow down and verify through a separate channel. Call the company directly. Don't use the phone number in the suspicious email.

3. Links That Don't Go Where They Claim

Hover over any link before clicking it. On a computer, your browser shows the actual destination URL in the bottom-left corner. On mobile, press and hold the link to preview it. If the link text says "Sign in to Microsoft 365" but the URL points to something like login-verify-ms365.sketchy-domain.com , that's your answer.

Legitimate services use their own domains. Microsoft uses microsoft.com. DocuSign uses docusign.net. Your bank uses its own domain. If the link destination doesn't match, don't click it.

4. Unexpected Attachments

Be especially cautious with attachments you weren't expecting, particularly these file types:

• .exe, .scr, .bat files (these can run programs on your computer)
• .zip or .rar files (often used to hide malicious files from email scanners)
• .docm or .xlsm files (macro-enabled Office documents that can execute code)
• .html files (can redirect you to phishing pages)

If a vendor or colleague sends an unexpected attachment, verify with them directly before opening it. A quick phone call takes 30 seconds. Recovering from ransomware takes weeks.

5. Generic Greetings and Odd Formatting

Emails addressed to "Dear Customer" or "Dear User" from a company that definitely has your name on file are suspicious. So are emails with inconsistent fonts, extra spacing, or slightly off brand colors. These details matter because attackers often assemble emails from templates and don't catch every formatting issue.

What Happens When Someone Clicks Anyway

Prevention is the goal, but no defense is perfect. For businesses throughout Missouri, the question isn't just "how do we stop phishing" but "what happens when one gets through?"

A solid multilayered cybersecurity approach means the damage is contained even when someone makes a mistake. That includes:

• Email filtering that catches most phishing attempts before they reach inboxes
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) so stolen passwords alone aren't enough to breach an account
• Endpoint detection that identifies and quarantines malicious files if they're downloaded
• DNS filtering that blocks connections to known malicious domains even after a link is clicked
• Security awareness training that keeps phishing recognition fresh for your team

Each layer compensates for the others. If the email filter misses one and someone clicks the link, MFA stops the attacker from using stolen credentials. If MFA somehow fails, endpoint detection catches the malware. This layered model is the foundation of modern managed IT services for businesses that take security seriously.

The Real-World Cost of Phishing

According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, business email compromise (a type of targeted phishing) cost organizations over $2.9 billion in 2023 alone. And those are just the reported cases.

For a 20- to 50-person company in O'Fallon or the surrounding area, a single successful phishing attack can mean:

• Wire fraud losses that are rarely recoverable
• Ransomware that encrypts every file on your network
• Compliance violations if customer data is exposed
• Weeks of disruption while systems are rebuilt

The businesses that weather these incidents best are the ones that planned for them in advance. That means having disaster recovery plans tested and ready, not just documented.

Building a Culture That Catches Phishing

Technical controls catch most threats. But the emails that get through filters are specifically designed to fool humans. The most effective defense is a team that knows what to look for and feels comfortable reporting suspicious messages without fear of embarrassment.

Practical steps that work:

• Run simulated phishing tests regularly. Not to punish people who click, but to identify who needs additional training.
• Make reporting easy. A one-click "Report Phishing" button in Outlook removes friction. If reporting is complicated, people won't do it.
• Celebrate catches. When someone reports a real phishing email, recognize it. That reinforces the behavior you want.
• Brief your team on current threats. When a new phishing campaign targets businesses in your industry, send a quick heads-up. Context-specific warnings stick better than generic training.

A virtual CIO can help establish these programs and track their effectiveness over time, turning one-off training into a measurable security culture.

What O'Fallon Businesses Should Do Now

If you're running a business in O'Fallon, MO, here's a quick checklist you can act on today:

1. Enable MFA on every account that supports it. Start with email and financial systems. This single step blocks the majority of credential-based attacks.
2. Check your email filtering. Basic spam filters aren't enough. You need advanced threat protection that scans links and attachments in real time.
3. Verify your backup and recovery plan. If ransomware hit your network tonight, how quickly could you restore operations? If you don't know the answer, that's your first priority.
4. Talk to your team. Share this article. Discuss the red flags. Make phishing awareness part of your regular operations, not just an annual compliance checkbox.

Cybersecurity for O'Fallon businesses doesn't have to be overwhelming. It starts with the basics done consistently and built upon over time. If you're not sure where your gaps are, a conversation with an IT consultant who understands your business can help you prioritize.

NOC Technology provides managed IT services and cybersecurity support to businesses across O'Fallon, St. Charles County, and the greater St. Louis metro area. We help companies build IT environments where one wrong click doesn't become a business-ending event.