What is the Difference Between Phishing and Blagging Attacks?

24 January 2025

In the digital age, cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to exploit individuals and organisations. Among the most common tactics are phishing and blagging. Scammers use these two forms of social engineering tricks to manipulate people, making them click harmful links, share personal data, or do transactions.

While phishing usually works with generic messages to steal sensitive information, blagging can be a more targeted and personal approach, using well-made stories to deceive victims. Understanding the key differences between the two is essential, helping to identify and prevent them effectively. This guide will share how these two attacks work, their unique features, and how you can spot them.

What is Phishing

Phishing is one of the most common cyberattacks. It is used to target individuals through emails, texts, calls, and more. Cybercriminals use phishing to fool people into sharing sensitive details like their financial info, login credentials, or other private data.

How to Spot Phishing Scams

However, not just individuals but organisations also face phishing. Via email or social media, online criminals send messages, claiming to be from a reputed company. Moreover, they could share links that may direct you to official-looking websites, asking you to enter your company’s details.

That’s why modern businesses now use proficiently managed cyber security services, providing guidance to detect and prevent these scams effectively. Or you can consider an IT support desk as well and get the required help, even on a low budget.

For example, you may notice a phishing email like this

“Dear XYZ,

We noticed a potential security issue with your account. To ensure uninterrupted access, please click the link below to update your company’s details immediately:

Update Your Account Now

If action is not taken within 48 hours, your account may be restricted.

Thank you for your cooperation,

[Reputed Company Name] Team”

So, if you too receive emails like these, it is important to avoid interacting with them. Moreover, you can consider scalable and efficiently managed cyber security services to help monitor and reduce such risks proactively for your organisation.

What is Blagging

Just like phishing, cybercriminals have found a new method to scam people. Blagging is another of those social engineering tricks used by these scammers to steal money. However, they can pretend to be from a close friend or even some company manager who needs information, such as your resume.

Blagging emails can have emotional stories, ending with a request for financial help. These scams are carefully planned, using just enough details to seem convincing. Furthermore, if you struggle to manage such emails, opting for a high-quality IT support desk can be the solution, helping resolve queries instantly.

How to Spot Blagging Scams

Usually, most of the blagging starts with a message through email, social media, or text.

Here’s what blagging emails look like

“Hey Peter,

I’m so sorry to bother you. Actually, I’m stuck in Australia and my wallet got stolen while I was looking for a taxi.

I need some money urgently to pay for my hotel and a new flight back home.

So, can you please send 800 euros now?

I’ll pay you back as soon as I’m back.

Thanks so much,

Zendaya”

Such attacks are well researched, as you can notice the details, making them appear realistic and tricking the receivers into doing transactions. Therefore, to deal with these issues, opting for reliable and well-managed cyber security services can provide the essential tips, helping prevent the breach of sensitive data.

Exploring What is the Difference Between Phishing and Blagging

Both phishing and blagging are parts of social engineering tricks, fooling people and getting their personal data. So, to effectively prevent them, you can seek help from experienced teams, such as IT support desk, offering guidance and timely action.

However, in some aspects, phishing can differ from blagging. For instance

Conclusion

Whether phishing or blagging, both can cause significant damage, especially if you are not cautious. With multiple social engineering tricks, cybercriminals can use these methods to target individuals. So, understanding how they work can help you become better at spotting such emails or messages. In addition, it is vital to safeguard your personal as well as organisational data and avoid sharing them with unknown individuals or platforms.