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Train Yourself and Your Staff to Spot Scam Emails Before It’s Too Late

Cybercriminals only need one mistake to compromise your business, and that mistake is often as simple as one employee clicking a malicious email link.

Phishing and scam emails are the most common method used by hackers to deploy ransomware, steal credentials, and gain access to sensitive business data. Training your staff to detect these threats is not optional — it’s essential.

Why Scam Emails Are So Dangerous

❌ Ransomware can encrypt all your files within seconds – and paying the ransom won’t get them back.

❌ Fake invoices and payment scams trick businesses into sending money to attackers.

❌ Credential theft via fake login pages can allow hackers to infiltrate email systems, posing as real staff or clients.

The good news is that with proper training, awareness, and proactive security tools, businesses can dramatically reduce the risk of falling victim to email scams.

How to Read an Email Carefully Before Clicking Anything

Before you open attachments, click on links, or load external images in an email, follow these steps:

1. Check the Sender’s Email Address

  • Scammers often use fake email addresses that look similar to real ones (e.g., support@paypa1.com instead of support@paypal.com).
  • Always hover over the sender’s name to see the actual email address behind it.

2. Be Wary of Urgent or Threatening Language

  • Phishing emails often create panic to force quick actions.
  • Common scare tactics include:
    • “Your account has been compromised!”
    • “Your invoice is overdue, pay now!”
    • “Urgent security update required!”

3. Hover Over Links Before Clicking

  • NEVER click a link in an email without hovering over it first.
  • If the link’s destination does not match the text displayed, do not click it.
  • Example:
    • Displayed: www.yourbank.com/login
    • Actual link: www.fakesite.com/scam

4. Do Not Load Images Automatically

  • Some scam emails contain tracking images to verify your email is active.
  • Disable automatic image loading in your email settings.

5. Be Extra Cautious with Attachments

  • Even familiar file types (.pdf, .docx, .xlsx) can contain malware.
  • Never open attachments unless you were expecting them.

Approved Systems’ PhishGuard: Advanced Email Security & Training

Recognising phishing emails is only half the battle—Approved Systems goes a step further with PhishGuard, a training and protection system designed to harden your business’s email security.

How PhishGuard Works:

✅ Automated Whitelisting of Trusted Emails

  • We scan all mailboxes and train PhishGuard to recognize your common business correspondences.
  • Safe, verified emails are automatically approved.

✅ External Email Warnings

  • Any email coming from outside your organization is flagged with a warning banner.
  • Employees can manually mark emails as Safe or Report them as Phishing.

✅ Immediate Threat Removal

  • If a reported phishing email was sent to multiple people in your business, it is automatically removed from all inboxes—preventing others from clicking on it.

✅ Fake Phishing Email Testing & Employee Training

  • We inject fake phishing emails into your team’s inboxes.
  • If an employee clicks on a fake phishing link, a report is sent to management.
  • This allows business owners to identify employees who need additional training.

One Click Could Cripple Your Business

FACT: Ransomware does not care who you are. It only needs one person to click a bad link.

🚨 99% of ransomware victims do not recover their files after paying the ransom.
💰 Cybercriminals hide behind cryptocurrency wallets—they don’t track who paid, and they never return files.

The only way to recover from a ransomware attack is to restore from your own backups. That’s why prevention is key.

Train Your Team Before It’s Too Late

Your business relies on emails, but so do hackers. The best defense is awareness, training, and proactive security.

Approved Systems’ PhishGuard protects your business by:
✅ Training your staff to spot and avoid scams
✅ Preventing suspicious emails from reaching inboxes
✅ Removing phishing threats before employees can click on them

📞 Contact Approved Systems today to implement PhishGuard and keep your business safe.