Phishers Try A Phone Hook

CNet ^ | 4/28/06 | Joris Evers

[steve-b]

In a new twist on phishing, fraudsters are sending out e-mail that attempt to trick people into sharing personal information over the phone.

Cloudmark, a San Francisco-based e-mail security company, said it has seen two separate attacks this week. In both cases, the spammed message warns of a problem with a bank account and instructs the recipient to dial a phone number to resolve it, the company said in a statement published Wednesday....

[steve-b]

Let's be careful out there....

[FreePaul]

I've had quite a number of those e-mails. The first clue is when they reference a problem at a bank where I don't have an account. If it is supposed to be from a bank where I have an account I call them on their regular number to report the fraud attempt.

[gcruse]

Let's be careful out there.

Thanks for the tip! Here's what the article suggests:

"As a precaution, people should not dial phone numbers received in an e-mail message [well, duh] and should double-check and dial the numbers printed on ATM and credit cards instead [if you must, that's surely the way to go]."

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I have also received one from a Paypal look-alike. Looked very convincing. Claimed a problem with my account. Don't fall for that one either!

[LoudRepublicangirl]

I got one that said my credit card account would be canceled if I did not respond within 48 hours.

[FreePaul]

I have also received one from a Paypal look-alike.

I've received those also and ignored them. One of the funny things about a lot of these scam attempts is the the terrible grammer, spelling and syntax. At least some have to come from people barely familiar with the English language.

[vetvetdoug]

I get a phisher a couple of times a day. Nigeria, paypal, Washington Mutual and the list goes on. I canceled almost all of my credit cards and the bastards got me anyway. Someone locally took one of my checks that I paid a bill with and made counterfeit checks using only the routing number. In two days they cashed $6500 worth of checks in Corinth,MS, Brinkley, Arkansas, Joplin, MO, Springfield, MO. These forgeries didn't have the right bank, the right checks, and bogus names but the routing number took it right out of my account. My bank caught the first bad check and we closed the account. Now, those that cashed the checks are liable for the loss; not me or my bank. The forgers used the right ink so that the machines passed the first security check for checks.

[FlingWingFlyer]

What is funny is when Boogla Boogla in Ethiopia sends you one of these Paypal emails advising that the account was going to be suspended and you don't even have an account. I let Boogla Boogla and his pals suspend mine. Many times. LOL!