The Message That Wants Something From You

A young woman lies in bed at night lit only by her phone, and three large notification bubbles float above the screen with icons — a bank building, a delivery parcel, a briefcase.

You get a text from your bank. Your account has been locked. Click here to verify your details. You get an email from a delivery company. Your package is held. Pay a small fee to release it. You get an email about a great job opportunity. Check out this link.

All three could be genuine. All three are also among the most common phishing formats in use right now.^[1] In 2025, the FBI received more complaints about phishing, smishing, and vishing than any other single crime category.^[2] In this module you will learn how to tell the difference, and the one habit that protects you every time.