Phishers Targeted Alibaba.com Customers with Fake E-mails

A Chinese B2B e-commerce company 'Alibaba.com' said on August 12, 2009 that its website had been hacked by phishers who had sent bogus unsolicited e-mails to people visiting the website.

The phishing e-mail addresses the Alibaba customers as 'Dear Customer' and tells that the company has upgraded its security system with latest technologies to protect customers' accounts and businesses. Upgradation includes integration of new hardware systems. Moreover, the e-mail informs recipients that Alibaba has shifted its database to a new and better location. Besides, Alibaba has taken a decision of permanent removal of inactive accounts.

The e-mail also discloses its purpose of arrival by saying that customers have got this e-mail to confirm if their accounts are active or not.

To add an element of authenticity, e-mail warns that the recipient account will be permanently terminated if he doesn't send a reply. Moreover, the recipient will never be able to create new account with the B2B giant. However, the e-mail clarifies that the termination of e-mail account with Alibaba.com doesn't free him from the fee he needs to pay to Alibaba.

After the text, e-mail contains a link which takes the recipient to a fake Alibaba.com webpage. This fake webpage is actually a phishing website that asks the recipient to feed in his username and password.

Giving warning about the recent phishing e-mail scam, Alibaba.com said customers that if they have received such kind of e-mail, then they should ignore it. Phishers use the stolen identity to deceive others on Alibaba.com as they have got the username and passwords with them.

Furthermore, Alibaba.com has put the warning on its website about the e-mail scam. The company further said that customers could use some standard means to make a difference between a fake e-mail and genuine e-mail. Genuine e-mails contain personal greeting in the form of customer ID or name while fake e-mails address customer formally but not personally.

Finally, Alibaba.com seems to be gradually attracting attention of phishers like eBay and PayPal.

Related article: Phishers Expand Their Sphere of Attacks

» SPAMfighter News - 9/2/2009