🎣 Don’t Take the Bait: How to Spot the Most Common Types of Phishing

As a content creator, your inbox is a busy place—DMs, collab offers, sponsorship deals, platform updates. But not everything that looks legit actually is.

Phishing is one of the most common ways hackers try to trick you into giving away your passwords, financial info, or even control of your entire brand.

Here’s how to spot phishing attempts before you click—and how to protect yourself.

What it looks like:
You get an urgent message saying your Instagram or YouTube account is suspended, about to be deleted, or has violated some policy.

Common signs:

• Comes from an email address like security-instagram.net or support.youtube.verify@gmail.com (not official domains)

• The message is urgent and scary: “Act now or lose access!”

• There’s a link to “log in and verify your identity”

What they want:
Your login info, which they’ll capture through a fake website.

How to spot it:

• Hover over links—do they go to instagram.com or something shady?

• Check the sender's email carefully

• Look for typos, weird formatting, or logos that don’t look quite right

✅ Tip: Real platforms never ask for your password via email or DMs.

What it looks like:
An email offering a paid collab or free product from a brand that sounds familiar—like Logitech, HyperX, or Netflix.

Common signs:

• The sender uses a free Gmail/Yahoo account

• You’re asked to download a file, open a PDF, or click a Dropbox/Google Drive link

• They say you need to “apply” or “register” for the sponsorship

What they want:
You to download malware, or enter your credentials into a fake login page.

How to spot it:

• Do a quick Google search—are others reporting this as a scam?

• Check if the brand’s real website or press team mentions the campaign

• Legit sponsors will use official domains and often reach out through an agency

✅ Tip: Never download files from unknown senders or “verify” your info via links in an email.

What it looks like:
You get a message claiming there’s a problem with a parcel delivery—usually from Royal Mail, DPD, Amazon, or Evri.

Common signs:

• You’re asked to click a link and pay a small “redelivery” fee

• You weren’t expecting a package

• The sender uses a mobile number or short email address

What they want:
Your card details or personal information.

How to spot it:

• Don’t trust unsolicited delivery messages

• If you’re expecting a parcel, check the tracking via the official app or website

✅ Tip: Legit couriers won’t text you asking for payment via dodgy links.

What it looks like:
An email from PayPal, Apple, or Amazon says you’ve just been charged a large amount of money.

Common signs:

• The email contains a fake invoice or receipt

• There’s a phone number to call and “dispute the charge”

• The layout might be convincing, but the language is slightly off

What they want:
To panic you into calling a fake number, giving up card info, or installing remote access software.

How to spot it:

• Check your actual account—not just the email

• Don’t call phone numbers in emails unless verified on the company’s website

✅ Tip: Real services won’t ask you to download apps to fix billing issues.

What it looks like:
A DM from someone you know says “OMG is this you in this video?” or “I made this fan edit of you 😍”

Common signs:

• The message is generic and too good (or bad) to be true

• The link goes to a fake login page or virus download

• The sender’s account may have already been hacked

What they want:
You to click, get infected, and spread the scam further.

How to spot it:

• Don’t click links in vague messages—even from friends

• Ask the sender if they actually meant to message you

• Check the URL before logging in

✅ Tip: If in doubt, don’t click—especially on mobile.

• Use a password manager – it won’t autofill on fake sites

• Turn on 2-step verification (2SV) – adds a layer of protection

• Check URLs and senders carefully

• Don’t download files or software from strangers

• Back up your work regularly – just in case

• Report phishing to the platform or email provider