Cahoot Bank Warns Customers of Phishing Scam

According to the news reports published by FraudWatch International on February 9, 2009, UK-based Cahoot Bank is warning its customers of a phishing scam following complaints from customers of receiving fraudulent and unauthorized e-mails.

Cahoot Bank reports that the phishing e-mail states that its customers have been complaining of someone illegally using their Online Bank Accounts. Thus, Cahoot regularly examines specific customers' accounts as well as briefly limits access to the same if the Bank thinks they could be illegally accessed, said the phishing e-mail. Moreover, the e-mail says that to verify the recipient's identity as well as to avoid restrictions to his Internet banking, the user must click on a given login button.

In the end, the phishing e-mail thanks the recipient as it signs off in the name of Cahoot Bank's Legal Advisor.

Cahoot Bank also reveals that when users open the e-mail or click the link embedded in it, a spyware/virus is discretely downloaded on their computers. However, the Bank adds that it never sends e-mails to its customers asking for personal information.

Hence, Cahoot recommends that customers should never click on links within e-mails, rather copy the URLs first and then paste them into their browser. It also suggests customers to deploy a spam filter, a firewall and an antivirus solution along with anti-spyware software to protect their systems from e-mail attacks.

The Bank further advises users to maintain up-to-date software including web browsers and operating software. Moreover, the Bank says that users need to be aware of bogus activities running on the Net such as phishing, as well as check for any suspicious transaction by frequently reviewing their credit statements.

Meanwhile, after carefully examining the phishing incident, security experts say that people should not depend on their anti-phishing filter alone. They further states that customer who is foremost to get e-mail spoofing the bank should know that his browser has failed to detect the scam e-mail.

Moreover, the experts state that there has been a stupendous surge of phishing scams in the UK over the recent years.

Related article: Chat Bot CyberLover Flirts to Steal Identities

» SPAMfighter News - 2/24/2009