Although the terms “phishing” and “spam” are used interchangeably, they are quite different. It’s important to understand how they differ because both require different actions to be taken when you receive them.
Personalization and Intent
Phishing and spam emails have different intentions, and as a result, they also differ in personalization. Spam emails are often designed to try to sell you a product or service; you’ll typically see these messages in newsletter or promotional formats.
Phishing emails, on the other hand, are more malicious. You usually get these emails when someone is trying to extort money from you or steal your personal information to cause harm elsewhere. This is why I take several measures to more easily identify phishing emails.
Most of the time, spam emails are sent in mass. As a result, these messages are often not personalized. On the other hand, phishing emails can seem legitimate because they are somewhat personalized; In addition to using your name, these messages can impersonate the services you use.
Sometimes, you also receive phishing emails when you send a parcel. It’s important to understand the different types of phishing attacks because, unfortunately, so many exist.
Email content and grammatical accuracy
Grammatical accuracy can vary greatly in spam and phishing emails. Many phishing emails contain misspellings and poor grammar, but with the use of generative AI, it has become more difficult to identify messages based on these.
On the other hand, spam emails often have correct spelling and grammar. They also usually contain persuasive language that tries to show the benefits of a product or service (even if buying it would really suck for you).
One of the biggest reasons why spam and phishing emails are often grouped together is that they emphasize urgency. For example, I’ve received many spam emails telling me that the world would end if I didn’t buy a product.
Phishing emails typically use urgency in a different way; you’ll often see that your payment details have been declined or that someone needs money for a medical emergency. Either way, I suggest taking a step back and assessing the message rationally before taking any action.
Links and attachments
Phishing emails can include links that are not related to the product or service. For example, you may see shortened links; when you hover over the call-to-action (CTA), you may even see a link from a completely different source. Either way, you should not click on them under any circumstances.
On the other hand, spam emails can include legitimate links. When you click, you’re often directed to an actual product/service page. Still, you should not pay any attention to these links.
Both spam and phishing emails can include attachments. Phishing email attachments are often related to invoices and similar documents. Spam email attachments, on the other hand, may include aspects such as newsletters. In addition to phishing emails, you should also be wary of scams on social media sites.
Legitimacy
While spam emails are annoying, they are usually from legitimate senders. When you look at the sender, you will usually see a company email address or something from someone who works there. You may also see a profile picture on some web clients (e.g., Gmail).
Phishing emails are never genuine, but you should be careful when verifying the source. Sometimes, you will see email addresses that resemble a real website (e.g., using .co while the official source is .com).
Most of the time, however, you will see generic phishing email addresses. Many of these will also include multiple numbers or other disturbing things. If you have the misfortune of clicking on a phishing email, you should consider the red flags to identify a phishing website.
Threat level
Phishing emails and spam are quite different in terms of how dangerous they are. Spam emails are more of a nuisance than a real cause for concern. However, you should not use the products and services promoted in these messages. They are often worthless, and you should be wary of using anything from a company that uses deceptive marketing tactics.
On the other hand, phishing emails are often very dangerous. In the best case scenario, someone will try to scam you (and even then, it’s far from ideal). In the worst case, the criminal may try to steal your personal information.