Online Customers of NatWest Bank Receive Phishing Emails

Softpedia.com reported on 5th July, 2014 stating that some computer users have received a fake email purporting to be from National Westminster Bank, better known as NatWest Bank based at Bishopsgate, UK.

The subject of the fake email reads something like this: "NATWEST BANK ALERT: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS ON YOUR ACCOUNT".

The fake email tells the recipient that the Bank has been getting complaints from its patrons about unauthorized use of their Online Banking accounts. Therefore, the Bank periodically checks its online banking accounts and temporarily restricts access of those particular accounts which it thinks are vunerable to such unauthorized access.

The email also says that it (email) has been sent to customers of National Westminster Bank as Bank has observed some invalid login attempts on the recipient's account due to which Bank is temporarily restricting the customer's access to the Bank.

While analyzing the ongoing phishing email campaign, experts have identified and located the spoofed website at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. They observe that sender of the email is inaccurate and it comes from the address service@natwest.co.uk which victims assume to be NatWest Bank.

NatWest Bank is one of the biggest commercial and retail banks of United Kingdom with branches at Europe, Australia and American continent. Experts feel that with such large base of users, it is frequently targeted by phishers with their phishing email campaign.

While denying the current phishing email campaign, the Bank highlights some simple instructions on its website to identify a phishing email which include: First check the subject line of the email - if it is like "Security Alert" as in the above case or "System Upgrade" and so on, then it should be treated as suspect.

Secondly, always check the mistakes and inconsistencies in spelling and grammar in such unwanted emails. For example, in the above email the spelling of "vunerable" is wrong which indicates that the email has not come from the NatWest Bank.

Thirdly, if you have received a suspicious or fraudulent email like the above one and have not responded to it then you are advised to forward the email to phishing@natwest.com.

» SPAMfighter News - 7/15/2014