Several weeks ago, I became the victim of a cyber attack.
Someone obtained my credit card number and used it to attempt a $2,000 purchase of an iPhone Pro Max. At the same time, they tried to distract me with a coordinated email subscription bombing attack. Within minutes, my inbox was buried.
“Welcome!”
“Confirm your email.”
“Verify your account.”
Hundreds of account registrations and newsletter signups flooded in from random services across the internet. Different languages. Different domains. All at once. My phone started lighting up with SMS verification codes as well. The attacker was attempting to create accounts on services where I already had accounts, triggering login and verification attempts.
The goal was clear: overwhelm me so I wouldn’t notice the real threat.
The Real Signal in the Noise
Buried in the chaos was the important notification: a $2,000 charge on my credit card. Fortunately, I have real-time push notifications enabled on my credit card app. That alert cut through the noise immediately.
Instead of being distracted by the flood of emails, I focused on containment. I froze the credit card immediately and notified my credit card provider of the fraudulent charge. A new card number was issued, and the transaction was reversed. Because I reacted quickly, the damage stopped there.
What I Learned
- Email bombing is camouflage.
The spam wasn’t the attack, the credit card fraud was. - Alerts matter.
Real-time transaction notifications were the difference between chaos and control. - Layered security works.
2FA, account alerts, and credit freezes prevented escalation. - Calm beats overwhelm.
The attacker relied on distraction. Methodical action neutralized it.
The attack was loud and disruptive, but not catastrophic. Security isn’t about avoiding every attack. It’s about building enough friction into your digital life that when something does happen, it fails fast.
My inbox exploded. But the defenses held.