PSA: How to avoid phishing email

I was casually browsing my email when I saw that there was a mail from Apple , and it says " Apple ID has been disabled".  It says that to prevent further loss of information and for my account to be "activated" again, I need to click on a link. ( Very desperate, huh?)

After the incident when I was asked to pay S$1,000 for a purchase that I didn't do. I've been wary of the things that I give out online. This time around, I was on my guard and stay one step ahead of this would be scammers. I am now hesitant to giving out any of my information online. I have to be sure that if I were to give out my information, that it will be treated with utmost care. I have to be sure that this came from a legitimate source. 

Once I hit reply button, I immediately check the sender's address.Lo and behold, the sender's address was some computer generated address. And with that my suspicions were cleared, this was indeed a phishing email. Of course, I reported this to Apple ( but not sure what they'll do with the information). 

From time to time, we would encounter emails with this kind of subject, and sometimes fear would get the better of us that we ended up giving out our information. We must always stay vigilant and watch out for telltale signs that the email is a phishing email.  Here are some tips to help spot a FRAUD!

1. Stay calm, and do not be alarmed! Triple check if the email came from a legitimate source. 

To be sure, hit the reply button and check where it came from. If it was from a suspicious address (.com.sg.love) or computer generated email address, you can be 100% sure that this did not come from a legitimate source. 

2. Watch out for the signs. 

Check the grammar! Honestly, phishing email don't give a damn about grammar, legitimate sources do. 

3. Do not give out information online willingly. If there are other ways to give out or update your information, do so. 

For Apple, you can always update your information through Settings on your Iphone or Ipad. There you can be sure that you're the one accessing the information and that information will be taken with utmost discretion since it will just be you and the manufacturer of the product (Apple). 

Let me repeat, I do not need to stress out the importance of your data. These information (name, address) are valuable and can be used for identity theft. These information can be used to open a new bank account, credit card, etc.  Banks can chase you for unpaid bills racked up by that credit card that you did not open, and because clearly you were not aware that a new credit card was created under your name! (Let me tell you, that whole process of talking to the bank is too much time consuming and troublesome! ).
If the site you are referred to is not a secure site, do not give out your information. Do not give them any details (not your card information, not your OTP, not your bank details). Only click on the link if you are sure that the link came from a legitimate source. 

4.If you are unsure, Google it! Enter "Email Subject" + scam on your search bar. 

There are a lot of people who had been scammed and there might be some police advisory of some sort. Do check what the people are saying. 

Or better ask another pair of eyes...  

Your friends will know better too.  

 

5. Be aware of all the things that you've been doing.

Granted, you may not remember every little details, but at least do take a mental note on when and where did you give your information. Did I sign up for any promotion, contests,etc? Did I create a new profile on an online shopping site? Did I give my email address to a community?Did I create a new profile on Spotify?

Most Importantly,  STOP clicking on the links! 

Hope this helps! You've been warned!