41 Million Suspicious Emails Reported in the UK. How Can You Stop the Phish in 2025?

If you think phishing scams are everywhere, you’re not wrong.

According to the latest insights from Action Fraud, more than 41 million phishing attempts have been reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) since its launch in 2020.

That’s millions of messages trying to trick someone into clicking a malicious link, opening an infected attachment, or handing over sensitive information, including login credentials and credit card data.

Thanks to these reports, over 217,000 scam messages were removed from 393,395 website pages, as per the NCSC’s data.

While the volume is staggering, the success of these reporting systems shows just how powerful public awareness can be in disrupting fraud operations.

What Is Phishing and Why Is It So Tricky?

In phishing (and its sneaky cousins: smishing, quishing, and vishing), cybercriminals impersonate trusted brands or authorities to trick you into giving away sensitive data, passwords, or money.

Let’s break them down:

• Phishing: Emails that look like they’re from banks, retailers, or tech companies—often with urgent language and fake links.
• Smishing: Scam text messages telling you your package is delayed, or your account needs verification.
• Quishing: Fraudulent QR codes that lead to phishing websites or malware downloads.
• Vishing: Voice calls pretending to be from your bank, tech support or other trusted entities, sometimes using spoofed phone numbers.

Scammers rely on a sense of urgency, fear, or curiosity to get you to click, scan, or reply before you’ve had time to think.

The UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting service said that streaming services, tech companies, and telecommunications providers were among the most impersonated industries in phishing emails. Scammers also mimicked government schemes to lure victims.

Why those industries? Because they’re trusted, common, and form part of people’s daily digital routines, making them ideal bait for attackers.

Phishing Has Become Personal, Timely, and Tailored

While numbers reported by the public show that people are paying attention, cybercriminals are working hard to craft highly convincing correspondence. They’re clever, fast, and sneaky, exploiting current events, tech launches, seasonal shopping frenzies, and emotional triggers to trick victims into clicking malicious links or giving away personal info.

Scammers have evolved far beyond generic spam and now craft phishing messages that feel relevant and urgent. Classic tactics like advance-fee scams ( “Nigerian prince” stories for example) are still very much alive—but they’ve adapted.

Today, these scams often impersonate:

• Heiresses, business moguls, or victims from war-torn countries
• Representatives of charitable causes or fake government programs
• Bank officials or legal figures offering access to hidden funds

Meanwhile, other phishing campaigns are timed to exploit:

• Seasonal trends like Black Friday, summer travel, or tax season
• Viral news events or celebrity deaths, like this campaign that exploited the death of Pope Francis
• Ongoing impersonation themes, as seen in these seven real phishing emails

No matter the theme, the goal remains the same: to manipulate you into clicking a link, providing information, or handing over money.

But here’s the empowering truth: with the right awareness and tools, your family can stay one step ahead.

Spot and Stop Phishing Together: A Family Playbook

 Suspicious Emails

Red flags:

• Vague or odd-looking senders
• Unexpected attachments or QR codes
• Requests for personal or payment info
• Urgent or threatening tone (“Your account will be suspended!”)

What to do: Don’t reply. Don’t click. Report phishing attempts and suspicious emails to your email provider and local national cybersecurity agency

Suspicious Texts

Watch for:

• “You’ve won a prize!” texts
• Links asking for payment or account details
• Numbers that don’t look local

What to do: If you’re in the UK or US you can forward them to 7726 (it’s free and alerts your network provider).

Suspicious Calls

Common tricks:

• “We’re calling from your bank—what’s your password?”
• Spoofed numbers that look real
• Robo-voices threatening legal action

What to do: Hang up and block the number. Contact the company directly using verified contact info. Report fraud attempts to your national scam reporting agency and mobile carrier.

Awareness Starts at Home: Why a Single Click Can Affect the Whole Family

Phishing isn’t just an individual issue; it’s a household-level risk. Every device, login and shared account connects your family in a digital web. If one person clicks a bad link or falls for a scam call, it can put everyone at risk.

A teen who enters their email on a fake login page may expose shared passwords. A parent who clicks a malware link might infect the home network. An elderly relative who answers a vishing call could unwittingly share financial details linked to a family account.

Cybercriminals exploit these connections. They may hijack one account to impersonate that person and scam others in your contact list. They may use stolen personal data to craft targeted phishing emails tailored to your habits, names, or interests.

That’s why awareness, a dose of skepticism, and a few extra seconds of research can make all the difference. Before you click, ask:

• “Was I expecting this?”
• “Does this look or sound official?”
• “Can I confirm it elsewhere—on the brand’s website or via a known support number?”

Sharing these habits and encouraging open discussion about online threats makes your home a phish-proof zone.

Bitdefender to the Rescue: Scam-Fighting Tools That Really Work

Bitdefender provides powerful tools for scam prevention—whether you’re protecting a personal device, a household, or a creative business.

• Bitdefender Scamio. A free, easy-to-use AI-powered chatbot that lets you paste any suspicious message and link, or copy paste screenshots via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Discord—and instantly tells you if it’s safe.
• Bitdefender Link Checker. Another free tool to help you and your family check suspicious links easily.
• Real-Time Anti-Fraud and Anti-Phishing Filters. Integrated into Bitdefender’s security products, these block phishing and scam websites before they ever load.

It’s true, “cybercriminals aren’t giving up…”

And neither are we.

At Bitdefender, we continuously innovate and refine our scam-fighting technologies, from AI-powered tools like Scamio to real-time phishing protection built into our security suites. Our goal is simple: to stop threats before they reach you.

Stay alert. And trust Bitdefender to help you stay one step ahead. Together, we can build a safer, smarter, scam-resistant future.