Unmasking persuasion in phishing: a content analysis of principles of persuasion in emails and subject lines

What is it about?

Phishing emails are messages sent by attackers to trick people into revealing sensitive information like passwords or bank details. This study looks at how these emails are written to persuade people to fall for the scam. We analyzed both the subject lines and the full email content of phishing messages from 2014 to 2023. We found that subject lines often use authority (like pretending to be from a trusted source) or distraction to get people to open the email. In the full email, attackers use more complex techniques, like creating a false sense of honesty or trust, to keep the reader believing them. Our findings help us understand how phishing tactics are changing over time, which can help make cybersecurity training and email filters more effective.

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