ING Bank Alerts Customers about New Phishing Scam

Online fraudsters in a new phishing scam are targeting ING Bank by dispatching fake e-mails to former customers of Postbank that was merged in ING in January 2009. The e-mails ask recipients to access a website with their login credentials like username, password as well as bankcard details.

Security specialists state that users who revealed the information could land up in trouble. However, WebWereld, an online magazine, suggests that the login credentials are not enough for fraudsters to pilfer cash from people's bank accounts, there is need for the code numbers for additional transactions as well.

Meanwhile, ING Bank has asked its accountholders to ignore the e-mails written in faulty Dutch language that possibly generated via automatic translation.

Moreover, for spreading awareness about e-mail scams among people, the Bank has posted several security points on its website that customers could refer to when they get electronic messages from ING.

According to these points, whenever ING would communicate with customers via e-mail, it would always address the person by name. At the same time, it would not embed URL links in such e-mails connecting to websites that ask for the user's security information.

In addition, ING would not ask a customer to confirm his details over e-mail and it always use authentication and encryption mechanisms to keep transactions secured. Besides, customers could ensure that the website open on their screens is indeed an ING site by looking for the secure lock symbol at the bottom right hand corner of the browser.

The Bank further draws clients' attention to the fact that their 'customer' number, account number, customer identification detail, memorable data and PIN are the access points to their account. Thus, these should never be disclosed to anyone or in any e-mail as they might land up in the hands of the phishers.

While giving reason why there are frequent e-mail attacks against bank customers, the security specialists say that the Internet users in today's speedily moving life rarely think again while logging onto a banking site, thus allowing scammers the opportunity to make illicit gains.

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» SPAMfighter News - 3/25/2009