{"id":2754,"date":"2025-11-12T06:10:55","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T06:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2754"},"modified":"2025-11-11T09:10:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T09:10:00","slug":"email-phishing-password-expired-and-held-mail-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/2025\/11\/email-phishing-password-expired-and-held-mail-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Email Phishing: Password Expired and Held-Mail Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes : <\/span><\/span>

Email Phishing Threats Small Businesses Need to Warn Staff About<\/h1>\n

Email password expired?<\/strong>\u00a0Your emails are being delayed?<\/em>\u00a0These scam messages hit small businesses every day, often looking scarily real. This post breaks down how these tricks work, why they catch people out, and how to help your staff spot them before they do any damage.<\/p>\n

I usually get one or two of these emails a day, but today logged into my main email account and found a dozen all saying that my email password had expired (or was expiring) today.\u00a0 Now, as I run my own email server I know that that isn’t the case, but it made me wonder how many people are caught out and give awasy their passwords, so, dear reader, please pass the information below on to staff, colleagues and friends to raise awareness.<\/p>\n

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Understanding the “Your Password Has Expired” Scam<\/h2>\n

The “password expired” phishing email is one of the most common traps aimed at small businesses. It usually looks like a routine notice from your email provider, telling you that your password has run out or that your account will be shut down unless you update your details. Because most people deal with real password reminders from time to time, it can be surprisingly easy to fall for. This scam relies on a sense of urgency, pushing staff to react quickly without thinking it through. Criminals know that when people feel rushed, they tend to skip checks and click whatever button looks like it solves the problem. For small businesses, this kind of scam can cause serious trouble if even one person gives away a login by mistake.<\/p>\n

The email usually includes a link that leads to a fake login page. It may copy your company’s email system or a well-known provider. Once someone types in their details, the attackers instantly have access. That means they can read emails, reset passwords, and even lock the real owner out. If the account is used for customer communication, they may go further and send fake invoices or try to gather more information. Attackers often avoid doing anything straight away. Instead, they quietly watch for a while to learn how the business works. This makes it harder to spot the breach quickly and gives them more time to take advantage. Teaching staff to pause, think, and check the real status of their account can stop this scam before it starts.<\/p>\n

How “Your Emails Are Being Held” Phishing Tricks People<\/h2>\n

Another popular scam claims that your emails are stuck, delayed, or sitting in a “quarantine” folder. It usually makes the situation sound urgent, telling the reader that important messages won’t arrive unless they click a button to release them. Small business staff often worry that missed emails could mean lost customers, late orders, or unhappy clients. Attackers rely on this fear to drive people straight into the trap. These messages may even list fake “blocked” emails to make the alert feel genuine. Because no one wants to risk ignoring real customer messages, workers may click without checking whether the notice is legitimate.<\/p>\n

Just like the password scam, the link in these emails usually leads to a fake login page or a malicious site. Once attackers have access to an email account, they can do far more than read messages. They can send out new phishing attempts that look like they come from your staff, making them harder for others to spot. They might also search for financial details, stored passwords, or sensitive documents. In some cases, attackers set rules inside the compromised mailbox to hide their activity, meaning the victim may not realise anything is wrong until much later. Small businesses are often targeted because they rarely have large security teams watching for suspicious behaviour. By teaching staff how these held-mail scams work, you make it much harder for criminals to slip through the cracks.<\/p>\n

Spotting the Warning Signs Before It’s Too Late<\/h2>\n

Most phishing attempts, even the convincing ones, share certain clues. Training your staff to recognise these signs can reduce the risk to your business. One common tactic is the use of slightly odd email addresses. The name might look familiar, but the domain may be off by one letter, have a letter replaced by a number, or completely unrelated. Another red flag is poor wording, such as strange phrasing or formatting that feels a bit off. While some attackers write very clean emails, many still rely on automated tools that don\u2019t quite get the language right. Urgent warnings, countdowns, or threats of account loss are also typical signs of phishing. Genuine providers do not force you to act within minutes.<\/p>\n

Links are another giveaway. A link may look correct, but if you hover over it, the preview often reveals a completely different web address. Staff should be trained never to click login links from email notices. Instead, they should manually visit the official website or contact the internal IT team. Teaching staff to take a moment to check can save hours of cleanup later. Attackers rely on speed and panic. When staff slow down, check domains, question unusual requests, and confirm notices through official channels, phishing attempts lose their power. This kind of awareness is one of the simplest, cheapest, and most effective protections a small business can have.<\/p>\n

Building a Culture That Stops Phishing Cold<\/h2>\n

A strong security culture does not require big budgets or technical teams. It starts with encouraging staff to ask questions and double-check anything that feels wrong. If people worry they will get in trouble for bothering someone with a “silly” question, they are more likely to click without asking. Make it clear that caution is always welcome. Encourage short, simple habits such as checking the sender address, looking closely at links, and reporting anything suspicious straight away. Create a safe space where reporting is easy and praised rather than ignored.<\/p>\n

Regular reminders help keep phishing risks fresh in people’s minds. These don\u2019t need to be long or technical. A short weekly tip, a quick staff-room poster, or a brief chat at team meetings can keep awareness high. It\u2019s also helpful to run occasional in-house tests. Simple mock phishing emails can show who needs more support and which messages cause the most confusion. This lets you adjust training without blame. When staff know the business expects caution and backs them up, they grow more confident and less likely to fall for a scam. Over time, this shared mindset builds a barrier around your business that attackers will struggle to break.<\/p>\n

Practical Steps to Protect Your Business<\/h2>\n

There are several simple actions you can take right away to reduce the impact of phishing threats. First, ensure every important account uses strong, unique passwords<\/a>. Weak or reused passwords give attackers an easy boost if someone falls for a fake login page. Adding two-factor authentication wherever possible creates another layer of defence. Even if someone does enter their details into a phishing form, attackers will struggle to get in without the second code. This alone can stop many breaches from turning into disasters.<\/p>\n

Keep software and email clients updated. Many phishing attacks rely on old bugs or outdated security settings. Updates often include patches that stop these methods from working. It\u2019s also helpful to use spam filters and security tools already built into most email systems. These can catch a large chunk of phishing attempts before they reach your staff. Finally, create a clear process for reporting issues. Whether you have an IT team or a single responsible person, staff should know who to contact and what to do if they receive something suspicious. A quick, well-planned response can prevent a small mistake from becoming a major problem. With simple routines and consistent awareness, your business is far better protected from these scams.<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/h2>\n

John K Mitchell has been optimising sites for search engines since 1997, which is before Google started. With a background in programming, he realised early on that he could look at search results and make educated guesses about why pages ranked the way they did. Since then, he has worked on thousands of websites, often achieving strong and lasting results for clients.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes : <\/span><\/span>Email Phishing Threats Small Businesses Need to Warn Staff About Email password expired?\u00a0Your emails are being delayed?\u00a0These scam messages hit small businesses every day, often looking scarily real. This post breaks down how these tricks work, why they catch people out, and how to help your staff spot them before they do any damage. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-advice","category-computers","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2754\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestsoftware.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}