There is a series of predatory emails circulating which until now I have ignored. Then I got one from my bank. At least it seems to be from my bank.
When I clicked on the link an HTML window popped up that would not close. I contacted my bank and they tell me that this is a scam and under no circumstances reply to the email or fill in the requested info. Seems obvious and to me it was pretty fishy right from the first look. But someone somewhere may fall prey to the scam and become a victim of ID theft or worse.
I could not copy and paste the message so I will type it here. I altered the addresses to protect the criminals and prevent you from getting hammered. This particular message is typical and is not the one I clicked on.
Quote:
FROM: From SunTrust bank [antifraud.ref.num3x@suntrust.com]
TO: UnsuspectingInternetUser@IPofyourchoice.scam
CC:
Subject: Customer Notice: Instructions For CLient [Mon, 15 Nov 2004 05:13:58 +0300]
Dear SunTrust Bank Client,
Recently there have been a large number of identity theft attempts targeting SunTrust customers. In order to safeguard your account, we require that you confirm your banking details (credit card information and login/password for online banking, if you have).
This process is mandatory, and if not completed within the nearest time you account or credit card may be subject to temporary suspension.
To securely confirm your SunTrust Bank details please follow the link:
Http:/www.suntrust.com/personal/Checking/OnlineBankining/Internet_Banking/blahdeblahdebalhyaddayaddablah.scam
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and thank you for using SunTrust Bank!
Do not reply to the e-mail as it is an unmonitored alias
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At any rate the link goes to a page where you fill in your credit card numbers, account numbers, internet banking login and passwords. If you try to close this window it re-appears and the only way to close it is to rip the cord out of the wall.
1)Do not respond to the email.
2)Do not click on the link or fill in the info.
3)Call your bank and report it.
Visualize the perpetrator as an albacore TUNA! You have a knife in one hand and a club in the other and Mr. Internet scam artist is on the deck, mouth opening and closing, tail beating furiously against the deck. Yeah, that works.
Here's the header info if you want to play with them.
Quote:
Received: from intrepid.marinar.com [65.255.160.16] by mail.mwweb.com with ESMTP
(SMTPD32-6.06) id A0EB34E00C4; Sun, 14 Nov 2004 21:14:03 -0500
Received: from [69.226.170.66] (helo=adsl-69-226-170-66.dsl.bkfd14.pacbell.net)
by intrepid.marinar.com with smtp (Exim 4.42)
id 1CTWQm-0005KG-5e
for blahdeblah@yaddayadda.com; Sun, 14 Nov 2004 21:17:24 -0500
X-Mozilla-Status: 0001
X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000
FCC: <a href="mailbox://antifraud.ref.num31@suntrust.com/Sent" target="_blank">mailbox://antifraud.ref.num31@suntrust.com/Sent</a>
X-Identity-Key: id1
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 06:11:58 +0400
From: SunTrust bank <antifraud.ref.num31@suntrust.com>
X-Mozilla-Draft-Info: internal/draft; vcard=0; receipt=0; uuencode=0
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.4) Gecko/20030624 Netscape/7.1 (ax)
X-Accept-Language: en-us, en
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Blahdeblah@yaddayadda.com
Subject: Customer Notice: Instructions For CIient [Mon, 15 Nov 2004 05:13:58 +0300]
Content-Type: multipart/related;
boundary="------------020802060606090101020001"
Message-Id: <200411142114531.SM00764@intrepid.marinar.com&g t;
X-RCPT-TO: <Blahdeblah@yaddayadda.com>
X-UIDL: 287617965
Status: U
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Email scam .. Identity thieves at work
Gus Orviston
Linear Mode
