The cyber threat landscape is a moving target, with attackers constantly evolving their tactics to bypass defenses. While tech continues to advance, the human element remains a key factor in many breaches. Today's cybercriminals are increasingly using AI to craft highly personalized emails, but don’t ditch the old rules just yet. A small typo can still be a clever clue that a human, not an AI, is behind adding some spice the AI wouldn’t write.
This month’s phishing simulations are designed to reflect these real-world trends. We're focusing on templates that exploit psychological triggers—from the fear of unexpected charges to the pressure of covering colleagues during busy quarters—to create memorable learning moments for your employees. By simulating these realistic, modern threats, you can help your team build the critical thinking skills needed to spot and report phishing attempts before they lead to a full-blown breach.
Here are five new phishing simulation templates to incorporate into your training program this September.
Download these phishing templates for your in-person security awareness training materials!
Subscription Shift
- The Hook: An email claims your account will be migrated to a new “Lossless” tier and will incur extra charges. It’s vague about the new price but urgent about preserving uninterrupted service. This creates anxiety about a potential price increase or service disruption, prompting an immediate click to 'fix' the problem. Nobody wants to lose their favorite playlists.
- What it Exploits: Fear of change and loss of service. The ambiguity of new product tiers is weaponized to provoke a quick, emotional reaction.
- Real-World Risk: Credential and credit card theft. The link directs to a cloned billing page designed to steal payment details or login credentials for account takeover.
- Learning Moment: Always verify billing changes by navigating directly to the official app or website. Never use a link in an email to 'confirm' payment details.
The Q4 Ask
- The Hook: A message from your manager asks you to review and confirm your project assignments for Q4. It plays on your sense of duty and the very real pressure of year-end deadlines. Since everyone is busy, you might rush to help without questioning the request. Nobody wants to be the person who lets the team down.
- What it Exploits: Social pressure and the desire to be a good team player. This tactic uses professional obligation to bypass critical thinking.
- Real-World Risk: Credential harvesting. The link leads to a spoofed internal form or a fake company calendar page, stealing your login credentials and exposing sensitive project details and contact lists.
- Learning Moment: Verify such requests in the team’s official platform or by messaging your manager directly on your internal communications tool before clicking any acceptance links.
Productivity Play
- The Hook: A message says your Copilot has hit a usage limit and your scheduled daily tasks will be blocked unless you 'manage' them now. It creates curiosity and a fear of disruption to productivity, making you want to fix the problem immediately to avoid a workflow breakdown.
- What it Exploits: Fear of disruption and trust in new, complex tools. Attackers leverage the novelty of AI to make a scam appear both plausible and urgent.
- Real-World Risk: Credential theft. The link leads to a phishing page designed to steal Microsoft or SSO credentials, enabling attackers to access documents, automations, and calendars.
- Learning Moment: Treat service-limit alerts with caution. Go to the official admin portal or contact IT directly instead of following embedded links.
Professional Perk
- The Hook: A flattering, time-limited Premium offer promises better visibility and networking perks. It’s relevant to professional identity and career aspirations, making it highly tempting to click. Who wouldn’t want a little professional glow-up—or to be a 'winner of the algorithm'?
- What it Exploits: Professional aspiration and fear of missing out (FOMO).
- Real-World Risk: Credential harvesting via fake LinkedIn login forms or OAuth prompts that hand attackers tokens. With account access, attackers can impersonate professionals for further scams.
- Learning Moment: Unexpected promotions should be verified by visiting the platform directly. Avoid entering credentials on landing pages reached via email links.
Discount Deceit
- The Hook: An outrageously generous loyalty discount on the latest iPhone seems plausible enough to tempt people who might want to buy or resell it. The promise of scarcity and limited time accelerates action—nobody wants to miss out on what looks like a jackpot deal.
- What it Exploits: The appeal of a great deal and the pressure of scarcity.
- Real-World Risk: Phishing for payment info or personal data. Fake checkout pages harvest card details or account logins, leading to fraud and identity theft.
- Learning Moment: If an offer seems unusually generous, verify it through official vendor channels. Treat any messaging that stresses 'limited time' urgency as a major red flag.
Download these phishing templates for your in-person security awareness training materials!
The Human Layer: Your Strongest Defense
Phishing attacks in 2025 are cleaner and better matched to our daily workflows, which means spotting them takes more than scanning for bad grammar. Training employees to pause, verify, and use trusted channels (calendars, direct manager messages, official apps) is the real defense. By simulating these modern lures, you’re helping employees build instincts that stick.
Want to explore more? Browse our blog for additional templates, and stay ahead of cyber threats with our curated training resources.
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