Beware Of This Access Bank PLC Spam Email Regarding Online Banking

Just yesterday, I got a mail from Access Bank which I would say, was quite tempting. It was quite tempting because I am an access bank account holder. If it were to be a mail from another bank I don’t use, I wouldn’t bother reading because I get such mails almost everyday.

Please let’s get something straight here, I know the title of this post is quite misleading (How else would i have gotten your attention?) but the point is, the mail isn’t exactly from Access Bank PLC. It’s from spammers who choose to use Access Bank as the sender with a tempting subject in other to scam users.

The basic reason why i decided to put up this post is to warn readers to be wary of such mails and to also aid you in knowing the difference between a Genuine mail from Access bank PLC and that of a fraudster(s). You can apply the tips here not just for access bank plc mails only, but for every other mails you think – don’t seem true. As a matter of fact, i would advise you cross-check properly, every mail that has to do with providing your confidential details.

Let me quickly cut to the chase. Yesterday, while going through my mails as usual, i stumbled on this email which pointed Access Bank Online as the sender. The subject reads thus: Access Online Login Alert. Since i am a frequent user of the Access Bank Online banking service, i was concerned and needed to get more information on what the email entails (I value my money o).
Opening the email, here is what it reads:
Another factor is, this mail appeared in my inbox folder instead of spam folders where such mails are automatically sent to.

How To Spot Out Genuine Mails From Scam Mails

Looking from the screenshot above, i wasn’t addressed by my name. That’s where i got suspicions. In most cases, spammers don’t know the names of people they send mails to especially if the mail was sent  in bulk order and not individually. Most corporations address clients by their names when sending them a mail.

Secondly, placing your cursor or clicking on the sender’s name reveals the sender’s email address. In this case, the sender’s email address was iscogh@hotmail.com. The sender’s email address wasn’t branded. Normally, it’s supposed to be from noreply@accessbankplc.com, contact@accessbankplc.com or whatevername@accessbankplc.com. That is another thing to note.

Thirdly, the hyperlinks were not linking to the access bank online banking platform. Instead, it’s linking to a page which is a complete clone of the Access Bank Online Banking platform. If you are scared of clicking links, just place your cursor on the hyperlink and the destination url will be displayed on the down side of your browser. If you click on any of the hyperlinks, even the hyperlink stated to be https://ibank.accessbankplc.com/RetailBank displays another url address when the cursor (mouse pointer) is placed on the link (Not clicking). If you click on any of the hyperlinks, all you get are plagiarism pages. Look closely at the address bar to verify the url address before choosing to enter your confidential details.


The basic aim of the spam email is to steal log in details of unsuspecting users. I am not sure how they intend removing funds from the account understanding that a token or pin is required to make transfers on online banking platforms. Guys, you should be careful. Please take extra precautions to avoid stories that touch.