A Deep Dive Into HR Phishing Email Scams

Have you ever received an email from your HR team that appeared too good to be true? Or perhaps there was something about it that sounded a little off. Beware—you may have narrowly avoided falling into the clutches of an HR phishing email scam.

Phishing continues to be one of the most successful types of cyber security attacks. Through carefully crafted email messages, cyber criminals can assume the identities of trusted individuals, mimic their style and tone flawlessly and obtain private information. 

In recent years, companies’ human resources (HR) departments have begun to face a growing threat—HR phishing email scams. HR-related subjects are particularly effective in phishing emails as they prompt employees to react quickly without pausing to consider the legitimacy of the email. These attacks target sensitive information and are becoming increasingly common. 

HR data has become a growing target for cyber security attacks, so HR leaders have had to take on more cyber security responsibility and implement strong cyber security protocols. 

In this article, we’ll explore the rise of HR phishing scams, how to identify them, and how to respond appropriately.

Let’s begin!

What Are HR Email Scams?

Phishing is a form of online fraud where scammers attempt to trick you into sharing personal information. It usually occurs through fake emails or messages that look like they come from a trusted source. These messages often contain links to bogus websites that look real but are designed to steal your personal information. 

HR email scams are a new type of phishing email scam that specifically targets employees within an organisation by pretending to be sent from their company’s HR department. 

These emails claim to be about important topics, such as job offers, pay rises, or work updates, to prompt a quick response. They may ask you to click a link, download an attachment or enter your login information on a fake portal to obtain key information. 

Due to their legitimate appearance, it’s easy for employees to be tricked by HR email scams. If you’re ever unsure about the authenticity of an HR email, it’s always a good idea to contact your HR department directly to verify its legitimacy. 

Exploring the Rise of HR-Themed Phishing Attacks

The rise of HR-themed phishing attacks is a concerning trend that showcases the evolving nature of cyber criminals. According to a 2024 cyber security breaches survey by the UK government, phishing was found to be the most common form of cyber breach or attack in 2024.

Phishing emails often use HR-themed topics, such as annual leave policies or dress code changes, and mimic urgent communications, such as IT notifications or service alerts, to elicit a quick response. 

Employees perceive HR emails and communications as trustworthy, making them more susceptible to phishing email scam attempts. These emails and their consequences can often result in financial and emotional harm to employees.

How HR Should Adapt to the Rise of Phishing via HR Communications

Phishing email scams disrupt work and can expose your company to security breaches and vulnerabilities. For this reason, a workforce well-trained in identifying potential threats is essential in strengthening your cyber security defences and protecting your organisation from preventable cyber attacks. 

If you want to strengthen your defences against phishing scams, your HR department will need to adapt its communication strategies. Let’s explore some steps that your HR team can take to improve their cyber security posture:

1) Employee Training Programmes

It’s essential to organise comprehensive employee training programmes to teach your staff how to recognise and respond to phishing email scam attempts. 

Equip your employees with the skills they need to identify suspicious emails and verify their legitimacy. This helps foster a culture of cyber security awareness within your organisation. 

2) Implement Strict Verification Protocols

Your HR team needs to set up strict verification procedures for all requests regarding sensitive information. It’s equally important to emphasise the need to verify the authenticity of urgent emails or requests through trusted channels. 

3) Share Timely Alerts and Updates

The HR department could also take steps to improve internal communication channels, share timely alerts regarding prevalent phishing tactics and strengthen security measures. 

Regularly update your employees on any emerging threats and provide clear guidelines for promptly reporting suspicious emails. 

4) Collaborate With the IT Department

Your HR department needs to work closely with your IT department to share information regarding emerging cyber threats or vulnerabilities, phishing campaigns and potential insider risks. 

Your IT department can then offer cybersecurity tools or work with an MSP like Redpalm to detect and prevent scam attempts in real-time and protect your organisation from evolving cyber threats. 

Contact Redpalm for Effective IT Security Solutions! 

While the task of detecting HR phishing emails may appear daunting, with a little bit of critical thinking, they can be easy to spot. 

Are they coming from the domain the sender claims to be? Is the sender asking for things that don’t make much sense? Are there any visible typos or spelling errors? Is the message too good to be true? By asking yourself these key questions, you can keep an eye out for suspicious emails and avoid phishing attempts. 

However, if you find yourself struggling to manage your IT solutions while also focusing on your core business activities, we’ve got you covered. At Redpalm, we provide a managed IT services solution that can empower your business against all cyber threats.

As a leading MSP that offers professional IT support and security solutions to businesses of all sizes, we are well-equipped to identify and protect your system from IT threats. 

We also offer various other services, such as incident response, vulnerability assessments, cloud services, IT audits and health checks, and more. 

To learn more about our services, click here or contact us to schedule an appointment today.