Westpac Banking Corporation Cautions about ‘Spoofy’ E-mail

Sydney (Australia) headquartered Westpac Banking Corporation recently got numerous complaints from the public regarding phishing e-mails that prompted it to spread a warning of scam, published fijitimes.com dated December 23, 2011.

According to Gavin Kinnear, Acting General Manager of Westpac, it is truly an issue of concern regarding the way fake e-mails have been increasing of late.

A particular sample e-mail of the phishing scam, apparently dispatched on December 15, 2011 addressing the recipient as Westpac Online Banking Customer, tells that the bank lately found that various PCs had logged onto his Internet banking account with Westpac, with several failed password attempts determined prior to the logons. Thus, it's necessary that he revalidate his account details to the Bank, the e-mail continues.

Thereafter, it warns that incase the recipient doesn't furnish the required details within December 17, 2011 then it'll be essential for the bank to prevent him from using his account since there may've been unauthorized transactions on it.

This seemingly lends a touch of authenticity to the e-mail, which ends by expressing gratitude to the client, because he exuded patience in the face of the problem.

But the e-mail directs him for clicking one given web-link in performing the revalidation. Thus, soon as he clicks, he finds himself on an Internet site where he's prompted for typing in his financial and other personal information, which cyber-criminals could, however, later abuse for compromising his e-mail as well as savings accounts, authorities at Westpac cautioned.

Nevertheless, according to General Manager Kutila Pinto of Westpac Solomon Islands, Westpac won't ever request clients to provide their account information over e-mail. Incase any client of Westpac is suspicious regarding the genuineness about any exchangeable message of the institution, particularly if that message seeks personal details then he's urged to call his area branch, Pinto continued. Solomonstarnews.com published this during the 2nd-week of December 2011.

Pinto added that any Westpac client whose account became a target of online scam and thereby got compromised would have his stolen funds refunded but only if he complied with the terms & conditions of the institution's online banking process.

Related article: Westpac Customers Alerted About phishing E-Mail

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