EMAIL SECURITY FOR FREELANCERS:The 5-Second Sanity Check That Could Save You Thousands

The $70,000 Email

Last month, a freelance designer in Toronto received an email from her biggest client asking to update payment details for an invoice.

She clicked. She updated. She sent $8,400 to a scammer.

The client never sent that email.

This happens constantly. And freelancers are sitting ducks.

Why you're a target

Here's what most people don't realize: businesses with fewer than 100 employees get hit with 350% more phishing attacks than large companies.

Why? Because attackers know you don't have an IT team. No security training. No one watching the inbox.

The numbers are sobering:

• 43% of all cyberattacks target small businesses
• 90% of those attacks start with a single email
• 60% of small businesses shut down within six months of a successful cyberattack
• The average cost of a phishing incident is $70,000

Scammers aren't going after Fortune 500 companies with dedicated security teams. They're going after you, the freelancer juggling client work at 11 PM, too busy to second-guess an urgent payment request.

The anatomy of a freelancer phishing attack

These attacks are getting sophisticated. Scammers research their targets. They know your client names. They mimic email signatures. They time their attacks for when you're most vulnerable.

Common tactics include:

Payment redirect scams: "Hey, we've updated our bank details. Please use these new account numbers for the next invoice."

Fake urgency: "I need you to purchase gift cards for a client meeting TODAY. Will reimburse you."

Credential harvesting: "Your Google Workspace password expires in 24 hours. Click here to reset."

Invoice fraud: "Please review and pay this overdue invoice immediately to avoid service interruption."

The common thread? Pressure. Urgency. A reason to act before you think.

The 5-second sanity check

Before you click any link or act on any urgent request, ask three questions:

1. Is this sender actually who they claim to be?

Check the actual email address, not just the display name. Scammers can make "John Smith" appear in your inbox while the actual address is john.smith.invoices@gmail.com instead of john@smithdesign.com.

Look for subtle misspellings: amaz0n.com, paypa1.com, googIe.com (that's a capital I, not a lowercase L).

2. Is there unusual urgency or pressure?

Legitimate requests rarely demand immediate action. If someone is pushing you to act RIGHT NOW without giving you time to verify, that's a red flag.

Real clients understand if you say, "Let me confirm this through our usual channel before processing."

3. Am I being asked to send money, share credentials, or download something?

These are the three actions scammers need from you. Any email requesting these deserves extra scrutiny.

If any answer feels off, stop. Verify through a separate channel.

Call. Text. Slack. Anything except replying to that email.

Real verification in practice

Let's say you receive an email from "your client" asking you to send payment to a new bank account.

Don't: Reply to that email asking for confirmation.

Do: Pick up the phone and call the number you have on file (not any number in the suspicious email). Or send a message through your usual communication channel.

"Hey, just got an email about updating payment details. Wanted to confirm that came from you before I make any changes."

Takes 30 seconds. Could save you everything.

Building better Email habits

Beyond the 5-second sanity check, here are habits that protect freelancers:

Use a password manager: Unique, complex passwords for every account. If one gets compromised, the others stay safe.

Enable two-factor authentication: On everything. Email, banking, client portals. It's the single most effective protection against account takeover.

Verify payment changes in person or by phone: Make it a policy. Tell your clients upfront that you'll always confirm payment detail changes verbally.

Check URLs before clicking: Hover over links to see where they actually lead. Better yet, navigate to websites directly instead of clicking email links.

Trust your instincts: If something feels off, it probably is. The cost of a two-minute verification call is nothing compared to the cost of a successful scam.

Your one takeaway

The next time a "client" emails you about changing payment details or clicking an urgent link, pause.

Five seconds of verification can save you thousands.

The scammers are counting on you being too busy to check.

Don't be.

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Ṣọ Email Security provides AI-powered email protection for freelancers, nonprofits, and small businesses. Our tools detect phishing attempts, business email compromise, and other threats in real-time, so you can focus on your work instead of worrying about your inbox.