  This paper examines the cues that typically differentiate phishing emails
from genuine emails. The research is conducted in two stages. In the first
stage, we identify the cues that actually differentiate between phishing and
genuine emails. These are the consistency and personalisation of the message,
the perceived legitimacy of links and sender, and the presence of spelling or
grammatical irregularities. In the second stage, we identify the cues that
participants use to differentiate between phishing and genuine emails. This
revealed that participants often use cues that are not good indicators of
whether an email is phishing or genuine. This includes the presence of legal
disclaimers, the quality of visual presentation, and the positive consequences
emphasised in the email. This study has implications for education and training
and provides a basis for the design and development of targeted and more
relevant training and risk communication strategies.
