Scam E-mails Target American Airlines Customers

American Airlines (AA) has cautioned its customers for remaining vigilant about scam e-mails, which while circulating online, are aiming at attacking them, reports 14news.com dated December 29, 2011.

A sample scam message, which displays the header: "Re: Your Flight Order N590," addressing the recipient as 'customer,' notifies that his flight e-number is 8532856, date: 28th November 2011, time: 11:17PM, place-of-arrival: New York JFK, and the ticket-price: USD278.02.

Recipients of this e-mail state that it mentions the destination name differently such as Worcester, Tulsa, Stockton, Oxnard, Houston, Chicago or Long Beach.

The fraudulent message also directs the recipients for following one given URL for taking down the ticket online and printing it out. But, the URL is a fake.

One more sample e-mail promises $50 to the recipient if he answers an online survey having just 5 questions.

Significantly, American Airlines spotted an increased count of fake notifications as also that they aimed attack on fax machines too. So the airlines responded fast and informed its customers regarding the malevolent scheme.

It's cautioning anybody receiving the bogus messages for avoiding clicking on its web-links, viewing any given file attachment alternatively, dialing any of the telephone numbers provided. Rather he should send the e-mails at webmaster@aa.com.

Remarking about the above fraud, Spokesman Ed Martelle for AA stated that the company knew about it and that AA's corporate security division was investigating the matter so the scam could be shutdown. Latimes.com published this on January 2, 2012.

Further, as per AA, it won't ever request its customers for conducting security-related alterations on their accounts in the manner described alternatively, dispatch e-mails for gathering sensitive details. Still suppose anyone gets an e-mail asserting that AA sent it while requests him to provide his account details then he must regard such an e-mail as phony for, it's an attempt at gaining that person's private details for committing ID-fraud subsequently, the Airlines explains.

Eventually, it's not only American Airlines that's been hit with an online scam. During late-2011, Delta Airlines too cautioned its flyers regarding scammers who deceived people with postcard and/or e-mail into disclosing their financial and/or other personal details.

Related article: Sixem Worm Striking World Cup

» SPAMfighter News - 1/10/2012