Persuasive Appeals Predict Credibility Judgments of Phishing Messages

Two studies examined effects of using persuasive appeals in phishing messages on judgments of credibility. Participants were tasked with reading a combination of legitimate and phishing e-mails to determine whether each message was legitimate or a scam. In both Study 1 and Study 2, when phishing messages included more appeals to authority and likability, phishing susceptibility increased. However, as the number of fear and urgency appeals in the message increased, phishing susceptibility decreased, as it was easier for participants to detect the phishing attempt. Contrary to prediction, perceived source likability did not mediate the relationship between appeal type and credibility judgments. Results highlight the importance of authority appeals on credibility, describe relationships between appeal type and phishing susceptibility, and offer strategies for users to defend against online deception.