6 Phishing Email Examples in 2021

NHS Phishing Email Example

The pandemic has seen a sharp rise in COVID-19 themed scams. This includes phishing attacks using the pandemic to try and trick email recipients into compromising their own security. The NHS in the UK has been frequently targeted, especially with emails like the example below about being invited to have your COVID-19 vaccination.

But the links lead to spoof websites that harvest personal information and send them over to spammers and thieves.

Sponsored Content. Continued below...

WeTransfer Phishing Email Example

WeTransfer is often used to exchange files between users, and it has a free 2GB option making it one of the most popular file transfer websites on the Internet. And since the website uses email to let the recipient of a file know that file is waiting for them to download, it’s inevitable that scammers were going to use phishing attacks to replicate genuine WeTransfer email notices.

The email below is fake, and doesn’t go to WeTransfer. It fools the victim into downloading harmful files from the Internet. (Remember, legitimate emails will link to WeTransfer.com only.)

PayPal Phishing Email Example

PayPal has long been one of the most frequently targeted companies that crooks try and use to orchestrate phishing scams. They were also one of the first companies to have a dedicated email address to report phishing scams (spoof@paypal.com.)

One of the most common phishing scams using the PayPal brand is (once again) the claim that a recipient’s account has been limited or locked and the recipient needs to click a link to remedy the issue.

Sponsored Content. Continued below...

DHL Phishing Email Example

Phishing emails targeting couriers and postal services are popular, and since DHL is one of the well-known courier services, they’re also one of the most well targeted brands. Often these scams will trick recipients into clicking a link by claiming they need to reschedule a failed delivery. In this case the email asks the recipient to click a link to track a parcel (which the recipient may well do regardless if they’re expecting a delivery or not!)

Some simple tips to spot these scams –

Don’t click on links in emails or open attachments. That way, you know you can’t fall for these scams. If you’re unsure it’s genuine, contact the brand directly through their official website.

– Watch out for bad spelling and grammar.

– Watch out for emails that use generic greetings like “customer”.

– Look at the sender’s email address (but understand this can easily be spoofed.)

– Have good reliable antivirus installed with an anti-phishing feature. (Recommendations here.)

– Check the web URL you land on if you do click a link.