Phishing scams impersonating legitimate companies continue to evolve in sophistication, using convincing branding and urgency tactics to deceive victims. One such scam is the “American Express Merchant Reward” phishing email claiming users have pending credit payments, aimed to steal sensitive information. This article will examine how this scam works, how to identify it, and steps to take if one falls prey.
What is the American Express ‘Merchant Reward’ Email Scam?
The “American Express Merchant Reward” phishing email pretends the recipient has an incoming credit payment from American Express as a “Merchant Reward” ranging from thousands to ten thousands of dollars. To supposedly receive this payment, the email instructs victims to download an attached HTML file disguised as an American Express sign-in page to “verify their account ownership.”
In reality, this is a phishing scam unaffiliated with American Express. The attachment is designed to steal account login credentials and other personal data when victims try to collect their non-existent rewards. This information is then used by scammers for financial fraud or identity theft.
Here is how the American Express ‘Merchant Reward’ email scam may look:
Subject: You Have New Pending Credit Payment on Your Account
AMERICAN EXPRESS
Merchant Reward Credit of $5789.78 was issued to your account
For safety reasons, Please download attachment to review payment.
Update and verify your account ownership is required as a means to accept your payment.Notice: Account wlll be credited within 24hrs after you verify your ownership
Thank you for choosing American Express
How Does the American Express ‘Merchant Reward’ Scam Work?
The American Express “Merchant Reward” phishing scam email starts off by appearing legitimate on the surface. The scam email is carefully designed to mimic a real message from American Express, using the company’s branding, logos, and messaging style. This is done to trick recipients into thinking the email originates from American Express.
The subject line often states something like “You Have New Pending Credit Payment on Your Account” to grab the victim’s attention. In the body of the email, scammers inform recipients they have been issued a “Merchant Reward Credit” ranging from several thousand dollars to over ten thousand dollars. This fictional reward credit is intended to excite recipients with the promise of a large sum of unexpected money.
To supposedly obtain this reward payment, the fraudulent email instructs victims to download an attached HTML file. This attachment is made to resemble the legitimate American Express account login page. Recipients are told they must use this file to verify their account ownership in order to accept and receive their big reward credit.
However, in reality, this attachment is a phishing file completely unassociated with American Express. The fake login page is a trap aimed at stealing sensitive personal and financial data from victims once they try to input their account credentials. The scam email stresses the importance of immediate action, claiming the reward payment will expire if account ownership is not verified quickly. This creates a sense of urgency to pressure victims into downloading the file and providing their information without deeper scrutiny.
As soon as victims open the deceptive attachment and enter their American Express username and password into what they believe is a real company login page, this highly sensitive information is harvested by the scammers behind the phishing attack. With access to username and password credentials, as well as any other personal data entered, the scammers can infiltrate the victim’s real American Express account.
From here, the stolen account can be used to make fraudulent purchases and transactions, steal money, or access even more personal information that could facilitate identity theft. The scammers may also sell off the account details to other cybercriminals looking to exploit compromised accounts and identities for financial gain. Essentially, the phishing scam leverages a fictitious reward ploy and impersonation of American Express to trick well-meaning recipients into unwittingly surrendering the keys to their account and identity.
How to Spot the American Express ‘Merchant Reward’ Scam
While sophisticated, some tips can help identify and avoid this phishing scam:
- Suspicious sender: Email address does not match official American Express domains. Sender is random or spoofed.
- Spelling errors: Phishing emails tend to contain typos, grammar errors, and other mistakes.
- Generic greeting: Scam emails will use generic greetings like “Dear cardholder” rather than your name.
- Request for information: American Express would never ask for sensitive account information over email. Any such request is a red flag.
- Sense of urgency: Tactics pressuring immediate action are used to short-circuit better judgment.
- Attachments and links: American Express would not send account login pages as attachments in emails. These are phishing links/files.
- Overly generous rewards: Extremely high fake payment amounts like $10,000 are used as bait but are atypical of real rewards.
- Call for account verification: American Express does not verify user accounts through emailed files or urgent payments. Delete any such emails.
What to Do If You Fell Victim to This Scam
If you entered your American Express account details into one of these phishing attachments, take these steps quickly to minimize damages:
- Contact American Express: Alert them your credentials were compromised through a phishing scam so they can secure your account.
- Reset account password: Immediately change your American Express password so scammers lose access. Enable two-factor authentication if possible.
- Review statements: Check statements regularly for any unauthorized transactions made using stolen account data. Report any found.
- Contact banks: For accounts with linked payment sources, contact associated financial institutions regarding potential fraudulent charges.
- Place fraud alert: Consider placing an initial 90-day fraud alert with credit bureaus to be notified of any suspicious activity.
- Monitor credit reports: Order free credit reports to watch for signs of identity theft stemming from lost personal information.
- Report phishing email: Forward the phishing scam to American Express, the FTC, and cybersecurity authorities to help warn and protect others.
Is Your Device Infected? Run a Free Malware Scan
Slow performance, constant pop-ups, or strange behavior? These are classic signs of a malware infection. A quick way to check is to scan your device with Malwarebytes Free, one of the most trusted malware removal tools available. If you only visited a scam page and didn’t download or install anything, this scan is optional.
The free version detects and removes the most common threats, including:
- Adware — the cause of those annoying pop-ups
- Browser hijackers — unwanted redirects and changed homepages
- Trojans and spyware — hidden programs stealing your data
- Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) — software you never asked for
👉 Select your device below — Windows, Mac, or Android — then follow the simple steps to download Malwarebytes, scan your system, and remove any threats it finds. The scan usually takes 5 to 20 minutes.
Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Windows
Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and trusted anti-malware tools for Windows — and it’s completely free for removing infections. It catches threats that many antivirus programs miss, including adware, browser hijackers, and trojans. Follow the steps below to scan your PC and remove what Malwarebytes finds.
Download Malwarebytes
Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows from the official source. The free version is all you need — it will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software at no cost.
Download MalwarebytesOfficial installer for Windows 11 and 10. Your download starts right away.Want real-time protection? See Malwarebytes Premium
Malwarebytes Free for WindowsScans and removes malware at no cost-
Install Malwarebytes
When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the MBSetup file. If Windows shows a User Account Control pop-up, click “Yes” to allow the installation.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
The setup wizard will walk you through a few quick screens:
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Choose where you’re installing the program — “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” — then click Next.
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Malwarebytes will now install on your device. This usually takes under a minute.
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When installation is complete, the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen will open automatically.
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On the final screen, click Open Malwarebytes to launch the program.
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Optional: Check for rootkits with a Custom Scan
You don’t need to change any settings for a normal scan. The standard Threat Scan in the next step is enough for most problems, so you can go straight to it.
If you also want to check for rootkits, use a Custom Scan. In current versions of Malwarebytes, rootkit scanning is only available there:
- On the Scanner tile, click the three-dot menu and select Advanced Scan.
- Choose Custom Scan. In its options, check Scan for rootkits.
- Select your system drive (usually C:\) as the location to scan, then start the scan. It takes longer than a Threat Scan.
- When it finishes, review and quarantine the results as described in the steps below.
Rootkit scanning isn’t available on Windows devices with ARM processors.
Start the Scan
Click the blue Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its virus database and start checking your computer for malware.
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Wait for the Scan to Finish
The scan checks your entire system for browser hijackers and other malicious programs, so it can take 5 to 20 minutes depending on your computer. Feel free to do something else — just check back occasionally to see the progress.
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Quarantine the Detected Threats
When the scan is done, you’ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found — malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all of them at once.
Malwarebytes will now remove the malicious files and registry entries and move them safely into quarantine.
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Restart Your Computer
Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot. If Malwarebytes asks you to restart, click Yes. Once you’re logged back in, Malwarebytes has finished removing the threats it found.
When the scan is done, check whether the problems you noticed have stopped. If they continue, see the options below.
If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
- Run a computer scan with ESET Online Scanner
- Ask for help in our Windows Malware Removal Help & Support forum.
Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Mac
Malwarebytes for Mac is a free on-demand scanner that removes the malware other security software tends to miss — adware, browser hijackers, and unwanted programs included. Cleaning an infected Mac with Malwarebytes has always been completely free, and it’s our go-to recommendation. Follow the steps below to scan your Mac and remove what Malwarebytes finds.
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Download Malwarebytes for Mac
Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Mac.
Download MalwarebytesOfficial installer for macOS. Your download starts right away.Want real-time protection? See Malwarebytes PremiumMalwarebytes Free for MacScans and removes malware at no cost -
Open the Malwarebytes setup file
When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the setup file to begin the installation.
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Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
The Malwarebytes for Mac Installer will guide you through a few quick screens. Click “Continue” and keep following the prompts until the installation completes.
When the installation is complete, Malwarebytes opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen. Click “Get started“.
Malwarebytes needs Full Disk Access to check your whole Mac. When it asks, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access, turn on Malwarebytes (it may be listed as Malwarebytes Protection), and confirm with your password or Touch ID. Then return to Malwarebytes. On macOS Monterey and earlier, this setting is in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy.
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Select “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer”
Malwarebytes will ask what type of computer you’re installing it on. Click either Personal Computer or Work Computer, whichever applies.
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Start the Scan
Click the “Scan” button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its detection database and begin checking your Mac for malware.
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Wait for the Scan to Finish
Malwarebytes will scan your Mac for adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious programs. This can take a few minutes, so feel free to do something else — just check back occasionally to see the progress.
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Quarantine the Detected Threats
When the scan is done, you’ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all the threats at once.
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Restart Your Mac
Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files it found. Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot — if Malwarebytes asks you to restart, allow it. Once you’re logged back in, check whether the problems you noticed have stopped. If they come back, save the scan report and ask for help in our forum.
If the problems you noticed continue after the scan, see the options below.
If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove a malicious program from your computer, please ask for help in our Mac Malware Removal Help & Support forum.
Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Android
Malwarebytes for Android scans your phone or tablet for malware, adware, and potentially unwanted apps. The free version scans only when you start a scan. Real-time protection, which checks apps automatically, is part of the paid Premium version.
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Download Malwarebytes for Android.
You can download Malwarebytes for Android by clicking the link below.
Get Malwarebytes for AndroidOpens Google Play in a new tab.Want real-time protection? See Malwarebytes Premium for AndroidMalwarebytes for AndroidScans your phone and removes malware at no cost -
Install Malwarebytes for Android on your phone.
In the Google Play Store, tap “Install” to install Malwarebytes for Android on your device.
When the installation process has finished, tap “Open” to begin using Malwarebytes for Android. You can also open Malwarebytes by tapping on its icon in your phone menu or home screen.
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Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process
When Malwarebytes opens, it walks you through a short setup. Tap Get started and follow the prompts. If you see an offer for a trial or a paid plan, read it before you accept. You can skip it and keep using the free scanner.
Malwarebytes will ask for permission to access the files on your phone so it can scan them. Tap Allow, or turn on the permission in the Android screen that opens, then return to Malwarebytes.
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Run a scan with Malwarebytes for Android
On the main screen, tap Scan now. In some versions, you open the menu, tap Scanner, and then tap Run a scan.
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Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now start scanning your phone for adware and other malicious apps. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
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Remove the detected apps.
When the scan has been completed, you will see a list of the threats that Malwarebytes for Android has detected. Next to each detected item, tap the menu icon (three dots), then choose to uninstall the app or delete the file. Android then asks you to confirm. Tap OK or Uninstall to remove the app.
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Restart your phone.
When the detected apps are removed, restart your phone if Malwarebytes asks you to. Then check whether the problems you noticed have stopped.
If the problems you noticed continue after the scan, see the options below.
If you are still having problems with your phone after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
- Ask for help in our Mobile Malware Removal Help & Support forum.
- Only as a last resort, reset your phone to factory settings. Read the warning below first.
- Back up your photos, videos, files, and messages, for example to your Google account or a computer.
- Make sure you know your Google account email and password. The phone asks for them after the reset. If you changed the password recently, Google recommends waiting 24 hours before you reset.
- On a Samsung phone, also make sure you know your Samsung account password.
- If you use an authenticator app for two-step verification, move your accounts to another device or save your backup codes first.
Stay Protected: Block Ads and Malicious Sites
No scan can prove a device is completely clean, so it helps to block threats before they reach you. Most infections start with a malicious ad or a fake download button — so blocking them at the source is your best defense.
We recommend AdGuard, which blocks malicious ads, phishing pages, and dangerous redirects before they can reach you.
👉 Download AdGuard and browse safely
Conclusion
The “American Express Merchant Reward” phishing scam exhibits the importance of identifying and avoiding such frauds attempting to impersonate trusted institutions. With scam awareness, enough skepticism of emails demanding sensitive data, and overall cybersecurity vigilance, users can evade this scam and other phishing attempts targeting their valuable personal and financial information.
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