- A
Spear phishing
Why wrong: Spear phishing is targeted at a specific individual or organization, but the scenario does not indicate that the email is personalized; it appears to be a generic mass email.
- B
Phishing
Phishing is a broad term for fraudulent emails attempting to obtain sensitive data by posing as a legitimate entity, matching the scenario exactly.
- C
Whaling
Why wrong: Whaling targets high-profile individuals like executives. The scenario does not specify the user's role, so it is not necessarily whaling.
- D
Vishing
Why wrong: Vishing is voice phishing conducted over the phone, not via email.
Question 401 of 750
How to Spot a Phishing Email: Bank Impersonation Example
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of logical security concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A user receives an email that appears to be from their bank, asking them to click a link and verify their account information due to 'suspicious activity.' The email address looks legitimate, but the link points to a different domain. What type of attack is this?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is phishing. This attack succeeds by impersonating a trusted entity—in this case, a bank—to trick the recipient into clicking a suspicious link that leads to a fraudulent domain, where credentials or account details are harvested. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your ability to identify social engineering tactics, specifically the mismatch between a seemingly legitimate sender address and the actual link destination. A common trap is focusing only on the email’s appearance rather than inspecting the underlying URL, which is the definitive red flag. To remember this, think of the “hook” in phishing: the urgent language about suspicious activity is the bait, and the deceptive link is the hook that reels you in. Always hover over links before clicking to verify the true domain.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Phishing
This is a classic phishing attack because the email uses social engineering to trick the user into clicking a link that leads to a fraudulent domain, even though the sender's address appears legitimate. Phishing is a broad category of social engineering where attackers impersonate a trusted entity to steal credentials or sensitive information, and the mismatched link is the key indicator.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Spear phishing
Why it's wrong here
Spear phishing is targeted at a specific individual or organization, but the scenario does not indicate that the email is personalized; it appears to be a generic mass email.
- ✓
Phishing
Why this is correct
Phishing is a broad term for fraudulent emails attempting to obtain sensitive data by posing as a legitimate entity, matching the scenario exactly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Whaling
Why it's wrong here
Whaling targets high-profile individuals like executives. The scenario does not specify the user's role, so it is not necessarily whaling.
- ✗
Vishing
Why it's wrong here
Vishing is voice phishing conducted over the phone, not via email.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between generic phishing and targeted variants like spear phishing or whaling, and the trap here is that candidates see a legitimate-looking sender address and assume it's spear phishing, missing the broad, unsolicited nature of the attack.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Spear phishing is targeted at a specific individual or organization, but the scenario does not indicate that the email is personalized; it appears to be a generic mass email.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Phishing attacks often exploit email spoofing techniques like SMTP header manipulation to make the 'From' address appear legitimate, while the actual link uses a different domain (e.g., 'bank-secure-login.com' instead of 'bank.com'). Attackers may also use URL obfuscation, such as homograph attacks with Unicode characters, to make the link look similar to the real domain. In a real-world scenario, a user might see 'https://www.bankofamerica.com' but the link actually points to 'https://www.bankоfamerica.com' using a Cyrillic 'о'.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Logical Security Concepts — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Logical Security Concepts — This question tests Logical Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Phishing — This is a classic phishing attack because the email uses social engineering to trick the user into clicking a link that leads to a fraudulent domain, even though the sender's address appears legitimate. Phishing is a broad category of social engineering where attackers impersonate a trusted entity to steal credentials or sensitive information, and the mismatched link is the key indicator.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on 220-1202
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A user receives an email from what appears to be their bank, asking them to click a link and verify their account due to suspicious activity. The email contains several spelling errors and the link points to an unfamiliar domain. What type of attack is this?
medium- A.Spear phishing
- ✓ B.Phishing
- C.Whaling
- D.Vishing
Why B: This is a classic phishing attack because the email is a mass, unsolicited message that impersonates a trusted entity (the bank) and uses social engineering to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link. The presence of spelling errors and an unfamiliar domain are hallmark indicators of a generic phishing attempt, not a targeted attack. Phishing typically relies on volume and deception rather than personalized reconnaissance.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.
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