Phishing Scams Attack Consumers of CartaSi

Security researchers at Avira an anti-virus firm in Germany caution that many phishing scams are aiming at consumers of CartaSi, the Italian credit card supplier.

In all, 4 attacks have been identified, each of which utilizes different bait for deceiving users and getting them to follow the phishing web-links.

Stated Data Security Specialist Sorin Mustaca at Avira, the phishing messages were being dispatched from worldwide scattered botnets as they displayed spurious captions apparently sent from CartaSi's official appearing e-mail addresses. Softpedia.com published this on January 31, 2011.

Notably, a few of the electronic messages utilized conventional tactics like alerting the recipients about the requirement for activating their credit card accounts alternatively re-validating the information related to them.

Moreover, one specific attack applies rather strange bait as it tells the e-mail recipient that he is eligible for a 150 Euro worth fidelity bonus. But, then it directs him that he must access his account within 48 hours for getting the money, as beyond that time-period, the offer will terminate.

Further, to sound legitimate, the scam e-mail goes as far as including legislation articles, which assert of safeguarding the user's private information.

Sadly, according to security specialists, it's because of the above kind of incidents that there's such a massive rise in phishing.

And also because the above phishing attacks are so malicious, the specialists recommend users that they should adopt simple measures to remain safe from them. These are: 1st they should erase the phishing or spoofed electronic mail instantly. 2ndly, they shouldn't follow any web-link embedded on the spoofed e-mail. 3rdly, they shouldn't reveal any personal information or username and password when an unsolicited query is made for the same just like in the above incidence. Overall, the specialists observe that it's up to end-users' responsibility for making sure that the details of their accounts are kept secured.

Finally, in case any end-user has already been trapped inside a phishing ploy, then he must lodge a complaint with any of the several cyber-crime divisions or complaint websites near his town or city by giving the entire particulars of the said scam.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 2/8/2011