Identity confirmation required says phishing email

We have mentioned in earlier posts that there are some realistic looking phishing emails. And then there are the blatantly spammy looking emails. Today’s winner is exactly that: a spammy looking email, supposedly from Apple. This one needs “Confirmation of your identity”. We’re not quite sure where the email is going, apart from the fact that the scammers want you to click on a malicious link. Read on and see what you think of the phish of the day.

There is not much to this email, as even a cursory glance at Figure A will tell you. No Apple branding, and just a few sentences. The subject of the email is “Your account is not enabled for Apple X, Confirmation of your identity!” This probably means something to someone. The sender of the email is supposedly Apple. There are two greetings (because having one greeting is old hat). The first greeting is “Dear Customer”, whilst the next greeting is”Hello”. The solitary link in the email has the anchor text “Please activate your account”.

MailShark Identity confirmation required says phishing email — Figure A – Click to Enlarge

So what is the email about? Apparently it is because “Your Appel ID has been used to open a session form an unauthorized computer”. (The spelling of Appel is how it appears in the email.) The recipient is therefore invited to click on the link to resolve the issue. The email signs off, simply, as “Support”. At least you get a unique URL assigned to you, which can be used “to take the survey”. It is a little confusing; is this email really an account verification email, or is it a survey? At least they spelt iCloud correctly.

Apart from the disjointed purpose of the email, there are other signs that the email is false. The grammar and spelling is quite poor in places. The lack of a personalised greeting is another sign. Finally, the link is bogus. Mousing over it shows that it does not lead to Apple. It leads to a phishing site. Once again, the criminals are trying to steal your Apple credentials.

Scott Reeves
MailShark
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