What is the different between Scam Email, Spam email and Phishing Email

Usually, all scam email and phishing email are spam emails. This is because most of them(scam email and phishing email) are just trying to "test their luck" in a mass of internet user. As a rule of thumb, normally 80% of your spam emails are scam emails or phishing emails. Next, all the phishing emails are scam emails because they are trying to cheat you in different method.

For a phishing email, it is usually targeting people who are panic and low awareness. A common example of Phishing Email is your bank account is going suspended now, please log on to verify it to avoid any lose. Therefore, please calm down and call your banker immediately instead of log in your account. Usually, phishing email will redirect user to a "duplicate fake official website". Once the user enter they password and username, the money in the account will gone in seconds.

For a scam email, it is usually targeting people who are low awareness and greed. A common example of Scam Email is telling you that you have won a big award or money. And then asking you to give them your personal details. After receiving your personal details, normally, you will be asked to bank-in a deposit for paying a transaction fee or tax. Once you done this, normally, your money and the company are gone.


I suggest you to read some example about Scam Email, Phishing Email, and Email Security in this blog. Feel free to give me a comment about this topic. It will be a great support to Xaivier Blog.

Written by: Xaivier Chia

"In term of defination:

E-mail spam, also known as junk e-mail, is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by e-mail.


Scam email is an email which attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. (reference to wiki)


Phishing email, which is one type of scam email, which is trying to steal your ID and password. According to WikiPedia, "In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication"."

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