Build My Plan
ServicesHow It WorksIndustriesResultsInsightsBuild My Plan
Consent for Text Messaging

Is it safer to send information via text or email?

By CallMyLeadsOctober 3, 2026
Back to InsightsIs it safer to send information via text or email?

Is it safer to send information via text or email?

Key Facts

  • 96% of phishing attacks arrive by email, making it the dominant attack channel for stolen information according to recent research
  • Roughly 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent every day — about 39,000 every second per aggregated industry data
  • 82.6% of phishing emails detected between September 2024 and February 2025 were AI-generated, with 60% higher click rates security analysts report
  • 57.9% of phishing emails come from compromised legitimate accounts, bypassing both technical filters and human suspicion research shows
  • QR code phishing surged 400% from 2023 to 2025, targeting victims through both email and text messages threat data indicates
  • Median time to click a phishing link is 21 seconds, while reporting takes 28 minutes — a 27-minute head start for attackers per Verizon's 2025 breach report
  • Phishing susceptibility drops below 5% after comprehensive security training, making it the most effective defense cited according to KnowBe4 research

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it actually safer to send sensitive information by text instead of email?
Research shows email is the dominant attack channel — 96% of phishing attacks arrive by email and over 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent daily — while detailed SMS risk statistics weren't covered in the available sources. The data establishes email as statistically riskier for information-based attacks, though text isn't risk-free since QR-code phishing spans both channels.
Why is email considered such a high-risk channel for business data?
Over 90% of cyberattacks begin with phishing, and 57.9% of phishing emails come from compromised legitimate accounts that bypass both technical filters and human suspicion. AI has amplified the threat — 82.6% of detected phishing emails were AI-generated and achieve 60% higher click rates than traditional attacks.
What's the biggest misconception about spotting phishing attempts today?
The old rule that bad grammar and spelling errors give phishing away no longer holds — AI-generated emails are now professionally crafted and achieve a 54% click-through rate, matching skilled human attackers at 95%+ lower cost.
If I get a payment request by email, what's the safest way to verify it?
The documented countermeasure is procedural: verify every emailed payment instruction through a channel that is not email — such as a phone call to a known number — before authorizing any transfer. This out-of-band verification defeats attacks that exploit compromised accounts and AI-generated impersonation.
Does security awareness training actually reduce phishing risk?
Yes — phishing susceptibility drops to under 5% after comprehensive training, and layered security combining technical controls with employee training remains the most effective approach cited by experts.
How quickly do attackers act compared to our team's response time?
The median time to click a phishing link is just 21 seconds, while the median time to report it is 28 minutes — giving attackers roughly a 27-minute head start before anyone raises the alarm.

The Verdict: Email Carries the Heavier Risk — But Neither Channel Is a Free Pass

The data is lopsided: over 90% of cyberattacks start with phishing, and 96% of those arrive by email — roughly 3.4 billion malicious messages every day. AI has made them cheaper, faster, and nearly indistinguishable from legitimate mail, with 82.6% of recent phishing emails AI-generated and clicking rates 60% higher than before. Text messaging isn't immune; QR-code phishing spans both channels and vishing surged 442% in late 2024. The practical takeaway isn't to abandon email — it's to stop treating any inbound message as trustworthy by default. Verify payment changes and sensitive requests through a second channel, every time. Train your team so phishing susceptibility drops below 5%. And use communication tools that are built on explicit consent, registered delivery, and immediate opt-out — so your real messages don't get lost in the noise and your customers never wonder if it's really you. CallMyLeads helps businesses respond to every lead in seconds across text, chat, and phone with carrier-registered messaging and built-in compliance, so you're not just fast — you're verifiable. Book a free 15-minute scoping call to see how it fits your workflow.

Build My Lead Response Plan
Back to All Insights

Get lead response tips that actually work