Email phishing scams are the most
common and one of the oldest forms of phishing attack used by online scammers.
Scammers use this method of phishing attack since it’s the cheapest way to
launch a scheme and is the fastest way to reach out to the highest number of
potential victims. Because almost everyone is using an email nowadays, the
magnitude of damage of a single phishing scam is much higher compared to
regular online scams using a different platform.
There are countless types of email
phishing scams. Phishers are constantly changing the type of phishing email
that they use in order to avoid familiarity with the scheme. The newer the
email scheme is the more victims are expected to bite the bait. It is also
because of this reason why government authorities cannot provide a size fits
all solution for this malicious scheme, making it harder to put an end to
phishing scams. The best that you can do right now to deal with phishing emails
is to acquire as much information about them. To give you an idea about the
different types of phishing emails, see the list below:
Email Phishing Scams
- Shopping Problem Phishing Scam
One of the tactics employed in phishing scams is the use of the shopping site problem. The email usually
claims that there has been a problem with your most recent online purchase and
that there is a big chance that your account may have been compromised. In
order to address the issue, you are requested to provide your payment account
details using the URL provided in the email. This is actually a bogus URL used
by phishing scammers to capture your card login details.
- Virus Scare
Virus scare email is designed to
manipulate victims into downloading a malicious program that will give scammer
access to their computer activities and all their confidential information within
the infected computing device. This type of phishing email comes in form of a
warning. Using a legitimate looking email format and header, the scammer
impersonates a representative from a reputable software company like Microsoft,
claiming that your computer may have been compromised. In order to address the issue,
you will be asked to download and install the attached computer security
update. However, the truth is your
computer is actually in no immediate danger, and the program attached to the
virus scare phishing mail is actually a malware designed to exploit the
vulnerabilities of your computer.
- Tax Scam
Many scammers
who are into phishing also use tax scams as one of their tactics to get your
bank or card online login information. First, scammer creates a warning email on
a non-existent overdue tax payable. They’ll warn their target that unless they are
willing to go to court they should settle the said obligation immediately. The
email contains a URL that is supposed to bring you to the official payment page
of the IRS instead, you will be forwarded to a clone site, which looks closely
similar to the legit IRS payment page. Scammers then gain access to your bank
or card login information once you key in your details on this page. Before you
know it, your credit limits or savings are already exhausted by the scammer.
The details provided above are just
some of the email phishing scams that you’ll likely encounter while you
regularly use your email.
