Phishers Attack TDS Customer E-mail Accounts

Hackers' phishing attacks have created a wave in e-mails of the customers of TDS, the Internet service providing company said on February 26, 2008, as it struggled to counter the big problem.

The firm serves dial-up Internet, phone, and DSL clients in Contoocook, Hillsboro, Wilton, Warner and Bradford, among other places in the US.

TDS spokeswoman, DeAnne Boegli, said that the company's customers are currently encountering extended delays in sending and receiving e-mail, as reported by Madison on February 26, 2008.

Officials at the TDS said that numerous customers replied to the phishing e-mails, which they found in their mailboxes over the past several days. The e-mails claimed to be from "TDSMAIL TEAM" or "TDS Internet Mail Service", which are both illegitimate TDS organizations. Some of the customers who reply might give away their sensitive information such as passwords, something that one should never do, Boegli stressed.

Others might respond in rage, knowing the e-mails are false, which also represents an incorrect action because it tells hackers about the validity of the e-mail address.

In such instances, hackers might get to determine clients' passwords allowing them to compromise their e-mail account. Having done that, the hackers can use those accounts to distribute any amount of spam mails, causing delays in the system. It may also be possible that the hackers sell off the deceitfully acquired account information.

Officials at the service provider said that the company probably needs to set new passwords for all the hijacked accounts. Nobody should set passwords that are easy to crack.

Boegli also said that the company is working hard to resolve the problem as fast as it could. It is training approximately 25 new staff to get phones' hold times minimized. The situation is one where all hands are on deck.

TDS has been able to identify six separate phishing e-mails, two of which appear 'kind of authentic'. Typical indications of phishing e-mail are making urgent demands for sensitive information, grammatical errors, and spelling mistakes.

TDS officials suggested that whoever receives suspicious e-mail must delete it, alternatively, contact his/her antivirus vendor. Also, users should always keep their security solutions up-to-date.

Related article: Phishers Expand Their Sphere of Attacks

» SPAMfighter News - 3/7/2008