MMPC Detects Phishing E-mails that use Verizon’s Name

Security researchers from Microsoft malware Protection Center (MMPC) have urged Internet-users for being watchful of e-mails, which though seemingly arrive from Verizon, actually are phishing e-mails that spoof the company's messages. Softpedia.com published this dated December 7, 2011.

It maybe mentioned that Verizon serves as a worldwide telecommunications and broadband organization with its main office at New York, USA.

A sample of the phishing electronic mail that MMPC blocked reportedly tells the recipient that he can have his account's present bill from the 'My Verizon' website, which will show the due amount of total balance as $751.49. However, this balance is devoid of any payment/adjustment conducted on his account following the generation of his bill, the e-mail continues. Eventually, it states the recipient can see all of his latest invoices within application materials, and signs off with thanks because he chose Verizon Wireless.

Moreover, with somewhat similar as "Important Account Information from Verizon Wireless TRACK-ID: 70341011278," the e-mail's caption gets displayed differently, while the total balance shown too may vary. Nonetheless, all of the samples intercepted reportedly, carry a file attachment, which in fact is the notorious Zeus banker Trojan that in the current case is detected as PWS:Win32/Zbot.gen!Y, the researchers disclose.

Meanwhile, when MMPC notified Verizon of the phishing electronic mail, the company on its own end as well issued an alert, announcing formally that it didn't send the e-mail.

In any case, for doing away with getting victimized with a similar phishing campaign, specialists advise users to remain watchful of any official e-mail typically asserting that it's an alert regarding financial or payment issues, while may also request them for providing secret, crucial account details as also frequently take them onto a spoofed Internet site crafted for filching data.

Thus, anybody who gets the above kind of e-mail must instantly delete it alternatively inform about it to the organization it impersonates similar to Verizon in the aforementioned instance. But, if a person has already answered one similar kind of phishing message then it's advisable he instantly seek guidance from the company like Verizon for making sure scammers don't compromise his account.

» SPAMfighter News - 12/14/2011