1. Sender doesn’t match
Look at the full address, not just the name. support@micros0ft-alerts.com isn’t Microsoft.
2. Artificial urgency
“Your account will be suspended in 24 hours.” Real companies don’t threaten like this via email.
3. Suspicious links
Hover without clicking. If it points to http://bank-verification.xyz, it’s phishing.
4. Asking for sensitive data
No bank asks for your password via email. Ever.
5. Unexpected attachments
.zip, .exe, .docm you didn’t expect = don’t open.
If it asks something urgent, has a link, or requests data — stop, breathe, verify through another channel.