What is a Phishing Scams?
How It Works — Step by Step
- You receive an email, SMS, or message that looks like it's from your bank, Amazon, PayPal, or another trusted source
- The message creates urgency: 'Your account has been compromised,' 'Verify immediately or lose access,' 'Package could not be delivered'
- You click a link that leads to a fake website that looks identical to the real one
- You enter your login credentials, credit card details, or personal information
- Scammers instantly capture your data and use it to drain accounts or sell on dark web markets
Top Countries (Victims)
Top Platforms Used
⚠️ Warning Signs
- Sender email doesn't match the company domain (e.g., [email protected])
- Urgent language threatening immediate consequences
- Hover over links — the URL doesn't match the supposed sender's domain
- Grammar mistakes or unusual formatting
- Requests for passwords, PINs, or security codes
- Generic greeting ('Dear Customer') instead of your name
- Unsolicited attachments
✅ How to Protect Yourself
- Never click links in unsolicited emails — go directly to the website
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all accounts
- Check the URL carefully before entering any information
- Use a password manager — it won't autofill on fake sites
- Install anti-phishing browser extensions
- When in doubt, call the company directly using a number from their official website
Real Cases from Our Database
[US] Alright- real or fake email offer Got this email today and I’ve had plenty of phishing emails over the years of which I’m fairly sure this one is too….. but just in case, what do you all think? I...
It is offering a free product no cost and no shipping. Just an address and an sig upon delivery with an option to post about it if I so choose. ...
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I have done similar brand reviews before but their emails had a legit title. The email sent from looks...
[US] got an email from “payflow” i received an email from “payflow” that had the actual paypal email telling me i had a pending order charge/invoice related to a customs fee telling me to log into man...
Australian email scam for subscription that expired last year This is what was emailed to me today. I was part of this subscription service in 2022 and had a 3 year subscription which I paid upfront. ...
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I have had no emails from them only to receive this today. I have tried even logging into the account after receiving this email only to see it was expired in 2025...
Polyfill is a scam popup? In 2026 June 4. [removed]...
[PT] Scammed via phishing and bank transfer. [removed]...
[US] So I got this random friend request on Discord today, and this is obviously a scam right? I like to post on Casting Call Club from time to time, and I randomly got a friend request on discord (wh...
📋 Where to Report Phishing Scams
- FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov)
- Anti-Phishing Working Group ([email protected])
- Your email provider
- Your bank if financial data was stolen