Overview of Clone Phishing Attacks

In recent years, online phishing attacks have steadily increased in both scale and sophistication, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between legitimate and malicious messages. Among the variations of phishing, clone phishing is considered particularly dangerous because it exploits users' familiarity, trust, and interaction habits, thereby increasing the risk of account compromise and theft of sensitive data.

This document presents the operating principles of clone phishing attacks in practice, analyzes common identifying signs, and proposes measures to help users and organizations mitigate risks from this type of attack.
The Concept of Clone Phishing
Clone phishing is an advanced form of fraud in which attackers impersonate legitimate emails or messages previously sent from trusted organizations such as banks, e-commerce platforms, or social media services. Instead of creating entirely new content, the attacker copies almost the entire content, layout, and format of the original message, then replaces legitimate links or attachments with malicious elements.
The main goal of this type of attack, similar to other phishing methods, is to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, financial data, or install malware on the victim's device. However, clone phishing is more dangerous due to its high level of persuasiveness, making it difficult for users to detect any unusual signs.
The Difference Between Traditional Phishing and Clone Phishing
In traditional phishing attacks, attackers typically send a barrage of unsolicited messages impersonating familiar organizations or using their brand or tone. These messages often exhibit easily recognizable signs such as grammatical errors, unusual formatting, or content inconsistent with the official communication style of the impersonated organization.
In contrast, in clone phishing, the fake message is almost identical to the original, differing only in minor, modified details. Because the context, structure, and wording are familiar to the recipient, this type of attack is more difficult to detect and often requires higher levels of expertise to identify.
Common Attack Forms and Scenarios
Clone phishing commonly appears as emails, but can also occur via SMS messages or direct messages on social media platforms. A common scenario involves spoofing delivery notifications, asking users to track or cancel orders via a fake link.

The links in these messages often lead to fake login pages, designed to look almost identical to the official websites of banks, online services, or social networks. When users enter their login information, data is collected and sent to the attacker. In some cases, the message also contains malicious attachments, installing software such as keyloggers to record keyboard input, including passwords and payment card information.
At a more sophisticated level, clone phishing can be combined with spear phishing, where the attacker targets a specific individual. By pre-collecting personal information such as name, email address, or services being used, the attacker can create highly relevant messages, increasing the likelihood of the victim trusting and interacting with them.

Reasons Why Clone Phishing Is Popular
Clone phishing is favored by attackers due to its high efficiency, low cost, and rapid scalability. A fake email template can easily be copied and sent to hundreds or thousands of victims. When users interact with the malicious link or file, attackers can exploit the data to hijack accounts, steal identities, or sell information on dark markets. For organizations, these attacks can also be the starting point for ransomware campaigns or internal system intrusions.
Signs of Clone Phishing
Although designed to resemble legitimate messages, clone phishing emails often reveal several unusual signs, especially in the edited sections. Common signs include a sender address with minor spelling errors or the use of an unofficial domain; unusually urgent content; generic greetings; unclear requests for sensitive information; Low-quality images or logos; and notifications about actions the user never performed.
Clone Phishing Prevention Measures
Preventing clone phishing requires a combination of user awareness and technical measures. Users need to carefully check the sender's address, avoid clicking on suspicious links, and use strong, unique passwords for each service, ideally through a password manager. In addition, regularly monitoring account activity helps detect unusual activity early.
Additional protective measures such as two-factor authentication (2FA), anti-phishing software, network-level threat blocking tools, website verification services, email authentication protocols, and regular software updates play a crucial role in mitigating risk. Furthermore, continuously updating knowledge about new phishing techniques is key to helping users and organizations proactively defend against increasingly sophisticated threats.
The Dangers of Clone Phishing Attacks

Online phishing is one of the most common types of cybercrime today and a major cause of personal information theft. Clone phishing increases the risk level due to its high persuasiveness and potential for serious damage. Consequences can include account hijacking, financial losses, identity theft, damage to business reputation, and the persistent presence of malware in compromised systems.