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Phishing E-mail Hitting Residents of Sarasota County

Florida-situated Sarasota County's Sheriff Office has issued an alert to residents that scam e-mails are posing as messages from Comcast XFINITY and that these may result in ID-theft, published heraldtribune.com dated February 22, 2012.

It maybe noted that Comcast XFINITY is one website that caters to subscribers, who pay for its services related to bill payments, e-mail checking, and television watching, online.

While detectives haven't yet known of any victim hitherto, they've, however, got complaints from local residents about phony text messages and fake e-mails hitting their inboxes, states the Sheriff.

Displaying a caption, "Update your Comcast account," the scam electronic mail shows the date and time as 14th February 1941, 10:00:00AM GMT-08:00.

Moreover, in its text, the electronic mail tells the recipient (addressed as Comcast XFINITY's Chase member) that he needs to make his Comcast Account up-to-date via registering with the outfit's Security Center. The updating must be done now otherwise he'll find his account suspended. For performing the update, he should follow a given web-link to www.concast.net where an online form awaits his information. The message then concludes by expressing regrets for any trouble caused thereof, along with gratitude for the recipient's support.

There's also a disclaimer in the e-mail that "all rights are maintained intact; Copyright © 2012 Comcast."

But, if the web-link is followed it takes the user onto the mentioned form, which, however, asks for his financial details along with other secret identification particulars.

Meanwhile, authorities observe one huge flaw within the fraudulent electronic mail i.e. the 'Copyright notice' in light grey somewhat makes it appear formal despite the norm for company e-mails not carrying their Copyright information.

Furthermore, Comcast currently displays a post that it won't ever request clients to provide their sensitive information through e-mail alternatively over phone.

Thus, the website calls upon clients for assisting it in probing such phishing messages via copying and pasting the electronic mail along with its subject onto one blank e-mail; then typing "phishing e-mail" inside the header in order that it becomes identifiable to Comcast's Customer Security Assurance; and finally, forwarding the newly-constructed message to abuse@comcast.net for detail examination.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

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