Phishing Attack on Blacksburg National Bank Customers

Scammers are disseminating a new incarnation of common phishing scam that targets the customers of National Bank of Blacksburg (Blacksburg, Southwest Virginia, US). The local residents are receiving fake text messages and e-mails using the name, logo, and website of the Bank.

Experts define phishing as a scam designed to procure a user's personal details via phony calls, deceptive messages like e-mails, and counterfeit websites that seem to be coming from authentic organizations like the Bank in this case.

Bank's Legal Counsel Marilyn Buhyoff said that since the third week of April 2010, officials at the bank started receiving reports from the customers regarding the fake e-mails. The bogus messages asked the customers about their confidential details, including bank account number, password and credit card number, according to a statement published by roanoke.com on April 23, 2010.

As stated by the Chairman, President & CEO of the National Bank, James G. Rakes, customers must note that National Bank never solicit or give customer details via e-mail, phone or text message, except for giving a direct reply to a genuine request from a customer, according to a statement published by bizjournal.com on April 20, 2010.

Mr. Rakes also said that the hackers have not compromised the computer system of the Bank. Further, cyber miscreants procure cell phone numbers and e-mail IDs of the people through various authentic and unlawful sources. They are experienced in developing websites so that give they give an authentic feel to innocent users and they divulge their critical personal and financial details.

As per the reports, not only the Bank's customer, this attack has affected other people in the area as well.

Meanwhile, the Bank said that customers who have mistakenly replied to the fake e-mail should immediately report the matter at the helpdesk number.

Moreover, to trace the source of this attack, National Bank's team of security experts is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Bank's spokesperson noted that although the Bank is aggressively responding to the attack, it is equally important for the customers to be informed enough to completely overlook these requests asking for confidential details, as reported by wsls.com on April 22, 2010.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 5/5/2010