The Scam 

Throughout my life I’ve seen and experienced many scams, from real life to online. One of the more creative digital scams I’ve seen is phishing emails that pretend to be from companies like Apple, Amazon, or even my bank. These emails usually claim that something is wrong with the account, there was a suspicious login, or you need to verify your identity. 

Purpose of the scam 

The main purpose of scams like these is to steal your personal information, such as your usernames and passwords, credit and debit card numbers, or bank info. Some will also try and have you install something that’ll cause a virus. The end goal is basically to get your personal information so that they can use it or sell it. 

How it’s executed 

Most of these emails want you to be worried about something so you make easy mistakes. For example, the email could say something like “Your account has been suspended due to suspicious activity” or “Action required now.” A lot of them also link a login page to make it seem more legit. If someone does enter their information on the fake login page, the scammers now have access to said logins and immediately take action. 

How to identify if it’s a scam 

1. Triple check the email: Scammers always use emails that look almost identical to the official ones. In my case I’ve seen multiple where one of the letters was backwards and the rest were identical. 
2. Look for urgent pressure: Official companies don’t usually demand immediate action over email.
3. Check for spelling or grammar mistakes: Most scams usually have some type of spelling error that actual companies wouldn’t make.