Anatomy of a Phishing Attack: How to Identify Malicious Emails

1. Unknown or Incorrect Sender

Carefully verify the sender's address. Falsified addresses typically have:

• Subtle variations (e.g., "servic3-client" instead of "service-client")
• Unofficial domains (e.g., "@gmail.com" for supposed banking communications)

2. Grammatical and Spelling Errors

Legitimate companies:

• Thoroughly review their communications
• Avoid basic writing errors
• Use a consistent professional tone

3. Urgency and Threats

Common tactics:

• ⏰ "Your account will be suspended in 24 hours"
• ⚠️ "Immediate action required"
• 🔒 "Verify your identity to avoid consequences"

4. Requests for Personal Information

Never provide:

• Passwords
• Credit card numbers
• Security codes
• Biometric data

5. Suspicious Links and Files

• Inspect URLs by hovering over links
• Be wary of unexpected attachments (.exe, .zip)
• Always verify the official domain (e.g., "bankofamerica.com" vs "bankofamerica.com")

Subject: URGENT: Suspicious activity detected in your bank account

Sender: support@bankofamerica-security.xyz

Content:

Dear customer,

We detected an unauthorized access attempt. To avoid permanent suspension of your account, verify your data within the next 12 hours:

bankofamerica.secure-validation.com/update

Sincerely,
Security Department

🔍 Detailed Analysis

1. Unofficial Domain
   The sender uses "bankofamerica-security.xyz" instead of the official ".com" domain.
2. False Urgency
   Arbitrarily short deadlines to pressure the victim.
3. Strategic Errors
   Use of "bank0famerica" (with zero) in the link and lack of HTTPS protocol.
4. Unusual Requirement
   Request for confidential information through an external link.

🛡️ Best Practices:

1. Enable two-factor authentication on all your services
2. Use a password manager with strong encryption
3. Regularly update your security software

🔗 Link Verification:

1. Hover over the link
2. Review the complete URL in the bottom corner of the browser
3. Compare with the official address of the company

📧 If You Have Doubts:

1. Contact the company directly through their official website
2. Report the email as phishing in your email client
3. Delete the message after reporting it