
Spoof American Express phishing scams are on the rise, and it's essential to stay safe. Scammers have been sending fake emails that appear to be from American Express, asking customers to update their account information.
Be cautious of emails that ask for sensitive information, such as your password or credit card number. These emails often contain spelling and grammar mistakes, which legitimate companies like American Express would never make.
The scammers behind these phishing scams are getting more sophisticated, but there are still ways to spot them. Look out for emails that use generic greetings, such as "Dear customer", instead of your actual name.
To stay safe, always verify the authenticity of emails by contacting American Express directly. If an email seems suspicious, don't respond or click on any links.
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Protecting Yourself
If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from American Express, don't click on any links or download attachments within the email, as the attachment is malware disguised as a login page.
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To stay safe, remember that real emails from American Express greet recipients by name, not with a generic greeting like "Dear Card Member". Be wary of spoofed sender addresses that may have inconsistencies upon closer inspection.
Here are some key indicators to help you identify and avoid falling victim to this phishing scam:
- Generic greeting
- Spoofed sender address
- Sense of urgency
- Request for sensitive information
- Threat of account suspension
- Spelling/grammar errors
- Attachment
If you do receive a suspicious email, forward it to American Express's phishing email address, [email protected], and report it as spam/phishing to your email service provider.
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How to Spot Scams
When you receive an email that claims to be from American Express, check the greeting - if it's a generic "Dear Card Member" instead of your actual name, it's likely a scam.
Be cautious of spoofed sender addresses, which may look official but have inconsistencies upon closer inspection.
Creating a sense of urgency is a common phishing tactic, so take your time and don't click on links or attachments without scrutiny.
American Express will never ask for account passwords, PINs, or other sensitive information over email.
They may send account notices, but they won't threaten immediate account suspension without allowing you to directly contact them.
Watch out for spelling, grammar, or formatting inconsistencies in the email body - they're uncharacteristic of a large corporation like American Express.
Be wary of attachments that require download - American Express will never send account updates as an attachment.
Here are some key indicators of a phishing scam:
- Generic greeting
- Spoofed sender address
- Sense of urgency
- Request for sensitive information
- Threat of account suspension
- Spelling/grammar errors
- Attachment
What to Do If You Get This Email
If you get this email, don't click any links or download attachments, as they're malware disguised as a login page.
The email is trying to trick you into revealing your login credentials, which scammers can use to access your account and make fraudulent transactions. The attachment is designed to capture your login information.
Forward the email to American Express's phishing email address, [email protected], to alert them about the new scam and help them warn other customers. This can help prevent others from falling victim to the same scam.
Report the email as spam/phishing to your email service provider, which can improve your spam filters and prevent similar emails from reaching your inbox in the future.
Don't reply to the email or contact any numbers/addresses within the scam content, as this can confirm to scammers that your email address is active and increase the likelihood of future phishing attempts.
If you've already interacted with the phishing email in any way, change your account passwords as a precaution to prevent any potential unauthorized access. This is especially important if you've entered your login credentials into the fake login page.
Monitor your account activity closely over the next few weeks for any signs of unauthorized transactions, and log in safely to your American Express account through the real website to review any notifications or irregularities.
Here's a quick summary of what to do if you receive this email:
- Don't click links or download attachments
- Forward the email to American Express's phishing email address
- Report the email as spam/phishing to your email service provider
- Don't reply to the email or contact scam numbers/addresses
- Change account passwords as a precaution
- Monitor your account activity closely
Consequences and Risks
Entering your American Express details into a phishing page can capture sensitive information, which should be reported to American Express immediately to reset login credentials and monitor account activity.
If scammers gain access to your American Express account, they can use it for unauthorized transactions, purchases, or transfers.
You should closely monitor your account and transactions until the issue is resolved to prevent further unauthorized activity.
Phishing aims to steal login credentials to either sell them online or drain money directly from compromised accounts.
Mitigation and Security
Consistently conducting mock phishing tests is crucial to assess the effectiveness of anti-phishing training and retrain repeat offenders.
Organizations should implement robust anti-spoofing measures, including deploying technologies on email gateways, to prevent phishing attacks.
Deploying layered email scanning with a solution to provide better detection and protection is essential to prevent phishing and BEC attacks.
To prevent falling victim to phishing scams, do not click any links or download attachments within the email, as they may contain malware.
If you receive a suspicious email, forward it to the company's phishing email address to alert them about new scams, and report it as spam/phishing to your email service provider.
To stay safe, log in to your account through the real website, change your password as a precaution, and monitor your account activity closely over the next few weeks for any signs of unauthorized transactions.
Here are the steps to take when receiving a suspicious email:
- Do not click any links or download attachments.
- Forward the email to the company's phishing email address.
- Report the email as spam/phishing to your email service provider.
- Do not reply to the email or contact any numbers/addresses within the scam content.
- Log in safely to your account through the real website.
- Change your password as a precaution.
- Monitor your account activity closely.
Mitigation Includes Tests and Layered Email Scanning
Consistently conducting mock phishing tests is a crucial step in assessing the effectiveness of anti-phishing training and retraining repeat offenders.
Organizations should aim to conduct these tests regularly to stay one step ahead of potential threats.
Implementing robust anti-spoofing measures is also essential, including deploying technologies on email gateways to prevent spoofing attacks.
Layered email scanning is another key component, with a solution providing better detection and protection against phishing and BEC attacks.
Here are some key measures to consider:
- Conduct mock phishing tests to assess anti-phishing training effectiveness.
- Implement robust anti-spoofing measures on email gateways.
- Deploy layered email scanning with a solution for better detection and protection.
- Use techniques to detect domain misspellings to identify phishing and BEC attacks.
How Did Abnormal Detect This Attack
Abnormal's email security solution detected this attack through a combination of unknown sender consideration, suspicious link analysis, and content analysis.

The unknown sender consideration flagged the email as suspicious because it came from a sender who had never communicated with the recipient before.
Abnormal's systems scrutinized the presence of a link leading to a suspicious domain, triggering deeper analysis for possible malicious intent.
The email's urgent message about the recipient's credit being paused was flagged as a common phishing tactic through content analysis.
This detection mechanism allowed Abnormal to prevent the attack from reaching inboxes.
Prevention and Detection
Abnormal's platform quickly flags deviations from established patterns of sender-recipient interactions, making it a powerful tool in preventing spoof attacks.
Recognizing established normal behavior is key to detecting abnormal indicators. The email security solution uses Unknown Sender Consideration to identify emails from unknown senders who have never communicated with the recipient.
Suspicious Link Analysis is another crucial detection mechanism, scrutinizing the presence of a link leading to a suspicious domain. This triggers deeper analysis for possible malicious intent.
The email's urgent message about the credit being paused is a common phishing tactic, and Abnormal's Content Analysis flags it as such. This helps prevent the attack from reaching inboxes.
By combining these detection mechanisms, a modern email security solution can effectively prevent spoof attacks from succeeding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can you tell if an American Express email is real?
To verify if an American Express email is real, check the sender's email address against the official American Express domains listed on their website, such as @americanexpress.com, @aexp.com, and others. If the sender's email address is not from one of these trusted domains, it may be a phishing attempt.
How do I report phishing emails to American Express?
Report suspicious emails to American Express by sending them to [email protected]. If you suspect your account has been compromised, call them immediately for assistance.
Sources
- https://malwaretips.com/blogs/american-express-account-has-been-locked-scam/
- https://www.csoonline.com/article/655217/microsoft-american-express-most-spoofed-brands-in-financial-services-phishing-emails.html
- https://www.americanexpress.com.om/en-om/fraud-protection-center/compromised-cards/
- https://www.greathorn.com/blog/phishing-attack-impersonating-amexs-using-google-forms-what-is-it-and-what-you-should-know/
- https://intelligence.abnormalsecurity.com/attack-library/american-express-impersonator-uses-url-shortener-spoofed-email-address-phishing-attack
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