The VERIFY Framework

30 minutes

Welcome to Module 3

You’ve learned to recognize when you’re being PUSHED. Now it’s time to learn what to do about it.

Introducing: VERIFY

VERIFY is your systematic validation process. Once you feel PUSHED, these six steps help you confirm whether a message is legitimate — through channels the attacker doesn’t control.

V — View Carefully

Examine who's contacting you and how. Check email addresses, phone numbers, and sender details.

E — Evaluate Context

Does this make sense given what you know? Were you expecting this? Is this how they normally contact you?

R — Request Examination

What exactly are they asking you to do? How sensitive or unusual is the request?

I — Interrogate Action

Challenge the urgency. What happens if you take 10 minutes to verify?

F — Freeze Action

Stop before you click, download, or share. Pause before taking any action.

Y — Your Instincts Matter

Trust your gut. If something feels "off," it probably is. You don't need technical proof to decline.

Why VERIFY Works

The key insight behind VERIFY is simple:

Attackers can fake almost anything — but they can't intercept your verification through a separate channel.

They can:

  • Spoof email addresses
  • Clone voices with AI
  • Create perfect-looking websites
  • Impersonate people you trust

They can’t:

  • Intercept your call to the real company’s phone number
  • Control what you see when you log in directly to the real website
  • Prevent you from contacting the real person through a channel you already have

VERIFY works because it routes around the attack entirely.

What You’ll Learn in This Module

  1. Why systematic validation beats visual inspection — process over perception
  2. The six VERIFY steps in detail — with examples for each
  3. How to apply VERIFY in practice — complete walkthroughs of real scenarios

Time Investment

This module takes about 30 minutes to complete:

  • Lesson 3.1: Systematic Validation (7 min)
  • Lesson 3.2: The Six VERIFY Steps (12 min)
  • Lesson 3.3: Putting VERIFY into Practice (10 min)
  • Module 3 Quiz (5 min)