Phishing Menu: serve it hot and catch the client
Welcome to the Phishing restaurant — today on the menu: dazzling promotions, mysterious parcels and urgent messages from the boss. Everything is free… well, except your bank account. 🍔💸
At OBI Partner, we prefer to code and drink coffee rather than explain to accounting why it sent €10,000 to a stranger. So a quick guide to recognize these poisonous dishes is needed. And I promise: no jargon. Just common sense (and irony).
What is phishing? (in 10 seconds)
Phishing is the art of disguising a scam as something innocent: an email, an SMS, a notification. The goal? To get you to click, give a credential, or download a file that will turn your day into an IT nightmare.
Imagine a server handing you a flyer “Win an iPhone!” — you take it, you click… and bam, it splashed you with ketchup (ransomware) on the hand.
The most common formats (the ones that always work)
Urgent email from accounting / HR / boss: “Need the bank details immediately!”
Fake invoice: Trapped PDF that installs malware.
Link to a “identical” site (amazon-login.xyz) that steals your password.
SMS (smishing): “Your parcel is pending — click here to reschedule” → malicious link.
Call (vishing): a “technician” who wants your password to “check a problem”. Yes, really.
Scammers adapt their pitch: they play on panic, curiosity, greed, and sometimes authority (the boss asking “urgent” = guaranteed click).
Tested and approved scam recipes (irony inside)
The too-good-to-be-true promotion
Subject: “Exclusive offer: €500 Amazon for our first 1000 customers!”
If you click, you land on a fake site that asks for your credit card “to validate free shipping”. Result: you give away more than your mail.The well-targeted fake HR
“Hello, this is HR. We need your payslip for the health insurance.”
The message comes from an address almost identical to your HR’s. You resend the PDF… and you provide sensitive information.The “security” phishing
“Login alert: we detected unusual activity, confirm your account here.”
You enter your password, and the attacker’s session then logs into the real service.
How to sniff out a phishing email (quick checklist)
Check the sender: the exact address, not just the displayed name.
Beware of urgent messages (panic button). Real services do not demand your password via email.
Hover over links (without clicking): does the URL really resemble the official site?
Unexpected attachments = suspense + danger.
Spelling and rough phrasing? Often a sign of a scam (but not always).
2FA enabled? Congrats: you’ve already reduced the risk of account theft. 🎉
Old‑school quick test: the “Got duped?” rapid
If you answered yes to any of these questions, take action immediately:
Did you click a link and enter your password? → Change it immediately + enable 2FA.
Did you open an unknown attachment? → Run an antivirus scan / contact IT.
Did you forward bank details? → Alert accounting + bank.
3 OBI Partner tips to apply right away (even between two coffees)
3‑second rule: before clicking, breathe for 3 seconds and ask yourself “does this make sense?”.
Confirm via another channel: if it’s urgent (the boss demanding bank details), call or send a voice message to verify.
Regular simulations: a fake phishing sent by your IT team + training = massive click reduction.
Conclusion
Phishing is like an overly tempting croque‑madame at 2 am: you think “just a little bite”… and you regret it for a week. Better to take 3 seconds, breathe, and verify.
At OBI Partner, we say:
“A good reflex is worth more than a thousand antiviruses.” 🛡️
