Three ways to spot a spear-phishing email include:
Evaluate the Email’s Basic Hygiene: Regardless of who is sending an email, be sure to do a brief check to ensure the sender’s domain and email address are accurate and known to you.
Determine the Email’s Content & Motivation: Any requests for personal or financial information should be viewed with extreme caution, especially in business settings where attackers are keen to use spoofed emails from executives to target lower-level employees.
Attachments & Link Landmines: Attackers will often use links inside of attachments to target victims. Unexpected emails from banks, a shipping provider, or even a friend, should require additional insight and verification.