AI Has Rewritten the Phishing Playbook
Bad grammar used to give phishing away. Not anymore. Six quick checks your team can run before they click, reply or pay.
- 6 checks, 18 questions
- 2 pages, plain English
- Made to share with staff
- Katy Based - Local Techs
Get the AI Phishing Checklist
Tell us where to send it. The checklist downloads on the next screen.
Your checklist is ready.
Print it, pin it near the screen, or forward it to your team. The three steps at the bottom of page 2 are the part everyone should remember.
Download the Checklist (PDF)Book a Time with ShaneSix Checks Before Anyone Clicks
Polished, AI-generated emails are hard to spot. The checklist gives your team a quick gut-check, three questions per area, that works on any device and any email app.
Sender and address
Does the name and domain match someone you actually know?
Tone and language
Too polished, too generic, or a little too much like your CFO?
Urgency or pressure
Act now, or else. The oldest trick, now better written.
Attachments and links
Unexpected files, shortened links, and where they really lead.
Formatting and branding
Logos, fonts and layout that are almost right.
Behavior red flags
Odd hours, new kinds of requests, and "just send it to my personal account."
Four of the Eighteen Questions
Run the next suspicious email past these four. If any answer makes you hesitate, the other fourteen are worth a look.
Are there subtle misspellings or domain impersonations?
@amaz0n.com instead of @amazon.com. One character is all it takes.
Is there a lack of personal context?
No reference to an ongoing conversation, from someone who should know one.
Is there implied risk if no action is taken quickly?
"Urgent invoice approval" is a request to skip your own process.
Are you being asked to bypass normal procedures?
A new bank account, a gift card, a personal email address. Stop and verify by phone.
The checklist has all eighteen, plus the three steps to take when you are not sure. Get the checklist →
Three Steps When an Email Feels Off
AI can make phishing more convincing, but not perfect. Your team does not need to be certain. They need to pause.
Don't click or download anything
Not the link, not the attachment, not the "view document" button.
Report it to IT right away
A quick report protects the next person who gets the same email.
Trust your gut
If something feels off, verify through a channel you already trust, like a known phone number.
A Checklist Helps People. Your Email Security Should Catch the Rest.
Training your team to pause is half the job. The other half is filtering, sign-in protection and someone watching around the clock, so fewer of these emails ever reach an inbox.
No long-term contracts · No hidden fees · 30-day satisfaction guarantee
Included with CinchOps
- Email security on every mailbox
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Endpoint protection on every device
- 24/7 threat monitoring
- Help desk answered in under 15 minutes
Don't Just Take Our Word For It…
Really solid IT team! Very professional, and easy to work with. They clearly know their stuff and genuinely care about their clients. Highly recommend CinchOps!!
CinchOps has been a game-changer for our IT and cybersecurity needs. Shane and his team are highly knowledgeable, responsive, trustworthy and truly treats your business like a partner. Highly recommend for any small or mid-sized business looking for expert support without the enterprise price tag!
CinchOps has been an outstanding partner for our business. Their managed IT services are reliable and tailored to our needs, and their team is always responsive and professional. I especially appreciate their expertise in cybersecurity and cloud solutions, which gives us peace of mind knowing our systems are secure and scalable. Highly recommend them to any business looking for a dependable IT partner.
I've worked with Shane for many years and now with the CinchOps team. They are very technically competent and customer focused and will allow you to focus on your business and not your IT.
Shane stepped in as our interim CTO and quickly became an invaluable asset to our team. His exceptional rapport-building skills allowed him to seamlessly integrate with our existing team, rapidly earning their trust and respect. Shane took the time to understand our technology stack, our workflows, and our unique challenges, and provided insightful, actionable recommendations that significantly optimized our software development processes. His strategic perspective and hands-on guidance enabled us to streamline operations, improve productivity, and set a clear path forward. We couldn't have asked for a better interim CTO and highly recommend Shane to any team seeking impactful technology leadership.
We’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with CinchOps on several projects, and their team has consistently demonstrated the highest level of professionalism, technical expertise, and responsiveness. As a fellow IT service provider, it's critical for us to have trusted partners we can rely on—especially when our clients in the Houston area need on-the-ground support. CinchOps has been that reliable extension of our team, delivering prompt, secure, and scalable IT support services that align with the high standards we set for our own clients. Their deep knowledge in managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and business process automation makes them an invaluable resource. We’re proud to partner with such a capable and client-focused organization. Justin Wolfe
Its always a pleasure to work with Shane! Shane is very knowledgeable and professional!
Shane and I have done business together and he's incredibly knowledgeable and one of the BEST people I have had the pleasure of doing business with.
Your business would be in good hands with this company. Shane is knowledgeable but also full of integrity. He will work hard for you and you can trust him to go above and beyond to support you.
If you have the opportunity to work with Shane and CinchOps, you're in for an exceptional experience. His unique strength is navigating complex technical deployments and operations for businesses of all sizes - from SMBs to global enterprises while coordinating multiple stakeholders and vendors, all while maintaining a personal touch. Shane effectively translates technical complexity into desired business outcomes for all decision-makers while providing consistent personal attention. He identifies potential challenges early and offers practical solutions that balance technical requirements with business goals. His rare blend of technical expertise, business understanding, and genuine care will make your complex deployment a success as well as improving your daily operations.
I’ve known Shane for many years, and I can confidently vouch for his trustworthiness and fair dealings. He is always honest and straightforward, making it clear that he values integrity in all his interactions. If you’re looking for someone reliable, Shane is definitely the right choice!
Used CinchOps to make sure the operations of TSG are always up and secure. Working with Shane and the his gang at CinchOps is an easy process and I recommend them to any business owner.
I have worked with Shane for several years. Shane's technical expertise is evident in his ability to quickly diagnose and resolve complex issues, ensuring minimal downtime for his clients. He has demonstrated a strong ability to collaborate across departments, ensuring that IT solutions are aligned with the needs of the business. Highly recommended!
As opposed to most MSP's, CinchOps does what they say they are going to do, with the expertise that you need. Shane and his group have a long-standing relationship with vendors, and have a deep understanding of the many needs of the business. You can trust CinchOps.
I'd start a business all over again just so Shane could take care of it start to finish. Usually guys with his level of competence have a massive ego and instead we're getting a constructive force that really moves the needle. Super quick to respond to everything. Thanks Shane. You're the best. Having you around makes a big difference.
I worked with Shane for a number of months and I found him to be very capable and professional. I would highly recommend him.
I’ve known Shane for over 20 years, and it’s rare to find someone as knowledgeable—not just about technology, but about almost anything! He’s dedicated, hardworking, and always honest, which I believe is the most important quality. Highly recommend!
Common Questions
Is the checklist really free?
Yes. Fill in the form and it downloads on the next screen. No payment details, no trial.
Can I share it with my team?
Please do. It is written for everyone who reads email at work, not just IT. Forward it, print it, or pin it near the screen.
How long is it?
Two pages: six checks with three questions each, and three steps to take when you are not sure.
Why doesn't spotting bad grammar work anymore?
AI tools write clean, polished, personal-sounding email in seconds. The checklist focuses on what AI cannot easily fake: who sent it, what it asks you to do, and whether that fits how your business normally works.
What does CinchOps charge?
A flat monthly rate of $100 to $250 per user, with email security, MFA and 24/7 monitoring included. Where you land depends on your systems and compliance needs, and you get your exact number on the first call.
Someone on our team already clicked. What now?
Call us at 281-269-6506. Change the password for that account, and don't delete the email so it can be checked.
We Make IT Work Simply.
And Simply Work.
One Conversation.
No Pressure.
Pick a 15-minute slot. Bring a suspicious email or your current setup, and we will tell you what we see, whether you hire us or not.
Prefer the phone? Call 281-269-6506.
How ready is your business for a cyber attack?
The Cyber Attack Readiness scorecard: 10 questions, about 3 minutes, an A-F grade and your top 3 fixes. Your answers never leave this page.
Find Out Where Your IT Actually Stands
Three short assessments, each scored A to F against what actually matters for a Houston business. Pick the one that matches what is keeping you up at night.
Do You Need Managed IT?
Start here. An honest read on whether outside help would actually pay for itself.
Outage & Continuity Readiness
If everything stopped tomorrow, how fast are you actually back?
Cyber Attack Readiness
Not whether you could be attacked. Whether you would survive one.
Nothing is scored on a server. Your answers never leave this page unless you send them with the form below.
Tailored Managed Services Solutions for Your Business
Your whole IT environment run, monitored, and maintained.
24/7 threat monitoring, response, and employee protection.
Disaster Recovery
Backups and recovery plans that keep you running through anything.
Microsoft 365 and cloud infrastructure done right.
Fast, reliable networks built for how you work.
Business phones that work anywhere, without the phone-company bill.
Audit-ready security and documentation for regulated work.
Backup and muscle for your in-house IT team.
Executive-level technology strategy tied to your business goals.
Repetitive work automated so your team does what earns.
Three Steps. No Pressure. No Slide Deck.
Chat with Shane
A straight conversation with the owner about your business and what your technology is really costing you. No sales team, no script.
Get your plan
We look at your environment and hand you a prioritized punch list: what to stabilize, what to secure, and where money is leaking.
Watch IT get simple
Fix-it-first onboarding knocks out the standing problems early. Then IT just works, month to month, for as long as we keep earning it.
We Make IT Work Simply.
And Simply Work.
One Conversation.
No Pressure.
You'll leave knowing more about your IT costs than you do today, whether you hire us or not.
Prefer the phone? Call 281-269-6506.
Fair Questions.
Do I have to give you my email to see my results?▼
No. Every assessment is scored in your browser and shows your grade immediately. Nothing is sent to us, stored, or emailed unless you choose to send it using the form above.
How accurate is a 10-question assessment?▼
It is a screening tool, not an audit. Ten questions will reliably tell you whether an area is a strength or a gap, and which two or three things to fix first. It will not replace a proper look at your actual environment, and it is not meant to.
Which scorecard should I take?▼
If you already know what worries you, take that one. If you do not, start with the broad IT Health Assessment on our homepage. It grades all five areas at once and points you at the deep dive that matters most for your business.
What happens to my answers?▼
They stay in your browser. There is no server-side scoring and no record of what any individual answered. If you download the results image, that file is generated on your device too.
Will someone call me if I take one?▼
Only if you ask. There is no automatic follow-up, because we never collected your details in the first place. If you want to talk a result through, book a time with Shane above.
Is this just a sales pitch?▼
The scoring is honest, including when it tells you that you are in good shape. If your grade comes back an A, the assessment says so and tells you there is nothing we would change. That is more useful to both of us than a rigged quiz.