Media Contact: Janet C. Hart, APR, CFEE (704) 927-8617office
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Were you one of the 100 million people who shopped online on Cyber Monday? If so, be on the lookout for phishing scams posing as
holiday shipping and mailing services. The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to watch out for two phishing scams this holiday season. Hackers and
scammers are pretending to be customer service personnel from some of the biggest names in
business—including FedEx and UPS. Hackers are impersonating well-known
companies in order to gain access to computer drives, files and accounts to steal
your personal information including Social Security, bank or credit card
numbers.
“While
most of the country is preparing to celebrate the holidays, cyber criminals are
spreading computer viruses and stealing identities,” said BBB President Tom
Bartholomy. “Hackers using e-mail phishing messages are posing as trusted businesses
to take advantage of the seasonal increase in online shopping and shipping of
merchandise all across the country.”
The
BBB has the following advice:
Shipping scams - Hackers send phishing e-mails
from “shipping companies” claiming that there is a problem with delivery of
merchandise. Commonly, the e-mail will include a hyperlink for recipients to
click on that will take them to another Web site that might install malware or
solicit personal information. A message currently making the rounds has a
subject line that looks like, “Subject: Tracking Number
13040065504.” The body of the message claims that a package could not be delivered and
advises the recipient, “to print the copy of the invoice that is in the
added file.” The
attachment is actually a virus that will infect the computer.
BBB Advice: Instead of clicking on
the link in the e-mail, go directly to the shipper’s Web site or contact the
company via telephone to confirm whether there is a shipping problem with your
package. Do not open attachments to unsolicited e-mails.
E-card scams - E-cards are a popular and
inexpensive way to deliver season’s greetings to loved ones. With legitimate
e-cards, the recipient receives an e-mail with a hyperlink that will take the
user to the e-card which is housed on a Web site. Unfortunately, by design,
e-cards are an easy way for hackers to disguise phishing e-mails and direct you
to their Web sites which will install viruses and malware on your computer. You
should be careful about clicking on a link in an e-card as the hackers will often
use logos from recognized brands and companies in order to appear legitimate.
BBB advice: Phishing e-mails posing
as e-cards can be difficult to spot. Spelling and grammatical mistakes are a
huge red flag. Also, do not follow the link in an e-card if you do not
recognize the name of the sender. Consumers who receive suspicious e-mails
should report them to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
For more information, please visit www.bbb.org or call the BBB at (704) 927-8617 or toll-free in N.C. and S.C.
at 1-877-317-7236. ###