Another equally effective group of messages used in phishing attacks is those based on strong negative emotions such as fear, guilt, shame, or the fear of serious and immediate legal, financial, or reputational consequences.

These types of communications often impersonate official state institutions (tax offices, police, prosecutor’s offices), banks, debt collection companies, or even popular courier companies. These messages skilfully exploit the authority of these entities to provoke a sense of threat and the necessity of urgent action. Residents of countries and regions where there is a historically or culturally low level of trust in state authorities, or where frequent changes in the law generate high regulatory uncertainty and fear of bureaucratic mistakes, are particularly vulnerable to these methods.

Thus, when a victim receives a message suggesting the need to avoid a penalty, legal proceedings, or another severe sanction, it triggers an immediate, strongly emotional reaction. Example headers include: „Pay 'overdue’ 10 euros before we report it as fraud” (often falsely citing a low threshold amount), „Final call to pay a fine with a designated date of 24h,” or „Your account has been temporarily blocked due to suspicious activity – unblock immediately by clicking the link below” (often impersonating a bank).

This kind of psychological pressure works instantly. The recipient of the message begins to feel intense anxiety, stress, and a sense of guilt or shame (especially when the content suggests compromise). As a result, an irresistible urge arises to solve the problem as quickly as possible to avoid bigger troubles, complicated bureaucracy, loss of reputation, or escalation of costs. The fear of losing money, reputation, or legal inconvenience is at this moment stronger than a rational, critical analysis of the message content and its source. In haste and under the influence of emotions, the victim is inclined to click on a malicious link, download an infected attachment, or provide their confidential data, losing the ability to verify.