Phishing without the spelling mistakes

What changed

For years, poor spelling and odd phrasing were a reliable sign of a scam. Many scammers were writing in a second language, in a hurry.

AI writing tools have removed that sign. A scammer can now produce a polished, friendly email in any language, in the style of a particular company or person, in seconds. They can personalize it with details from your company website or your professional networking profile. They can write a hundred different versions so no two look the same to a filter.

What still gives scams away

The writing has improved. The request has not changed. Focus on what the message wants you to do:

• Sign in through a link.
• Pay something, or change where payments go.
• Open an attachment you were not expecting.
• Share a code, a password or personal details.
• Act quickly, and keep it quiet.

If a message asks for any of these, verify it another way before acting, however well written it is.

Check the details that are hard to fake

• The real sender address, beyond the display name.
• The real web address of any link.
• Whether the request matches how this person or company normally works.