You are currently viewing Email phishing scam – American Express

Email phishing scam – American Express

I receive dozens of emails daily, yet I approach anything that reaches my In Box with some skepticism because there are hackers out there that want me to click an email link, then trick me into entering my login credentials on a bogus web site. Today the follow message popped into my In Box, reportedly from American Express:

 

American Express

The subject line looked ominous: Ticket ID #1501K7505F0. My first clue was that I don’t have an American Express account.

Secondly the opening line in the message is: Dear valued member

A real email from American Express would have:

  • First and Last name
  • Account number
  • Logo
  • Corporate details in the footer of the message

Looking at the from address it shows: 

 

So I know that the sender is not legitimate, because the real address would be something like info@americanexpress.com, not web@online.de

Finally, just hovering my cursor over the Click Here link reveals that this phishing link has nothing to do with www.americanexpress.com :

 

American Express link

So I know with 100% certainty that this email is not legitimate, rather it is a phishing attempt to lure me into clicking the link. Don’t be fooled by every email that comes into the In Box, instead, do some of this quick checks to verify that the email is legitimate before clicking any link. This is how to stay safe and yes, it does take away from your product work day.

Leave a Reply