It looked convincing enough that I considered clicking on the link. Instead I decided to change my password, just in case.

Phishing schemes are looking more and more authentic these days. When Apple sent me a notice that someone had logged into my iCloud account from an unrecognized device it looked very real. The email appeared to have come from Apple, unlike other scams where you can tell by the origin it is fake. This time there were no warning signs.

Well, maybe one. My account, I was told, had been accessed by someone using an iPhone 5. That device would be more than a decade old. Does anyone still use a phone that old?

Not being sure, and not wanting to click on what might be a malicious link, I headed instead to the Apple website to change my login information.

There I encountered a problem. I couldn’t remember the username for my iCloud account.

I suppose I could have clicked on “forgot password” and reset things that way. But before I did so I had a sudden realization: I don’t have an iCloud account. My concern for security had caused me to forget that.

I’m left wondering how many people get taken in by these scams and how you can protect yourself. Staying offline would work, but that isn’t really an option for most of us.

In an ideal world where everyone was honest, you would never have to worry about online scams. Can you imagine such a place?

Politicians would never lie. Prices would be fair to buyer and purchaser. Sports would be dope-free. Lawyers and used car salesmen would be held in esteem

We can all dream of such a place. In the meantime though, be careful where you go online, and be very suspicious of unsolicited emails.

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