Citizen Calls RCMP since Getting a Fake Card E-mail

On February 18, 2013, an anxious citizen contacted the Duncan/North Cowichan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) telling he'd got an e-mail posing as a message from his bank which related to his credit card.

Addressing as "Valued Customer," the e-mail informed the recipient that the bank had noticed strange charges being issued to his payment card dated 17th February 2013. Consequently, the bank had held back his account. The e-mail then requested the recipient to fill out the requirements asked so the bank could dispatch him an e-mail informing about the reactivation of his account. A web-link named "Credit Card Verification" was provided that the user was requested to click.

The request seemed authentic, however, it didn't convince the card-owner, stated Cpl. Jon Stuart of RCMP (North Cowichan/Duncan). Cowichannewsleader.com published this dated February 20, 2013.

Fortunately, according to Stuart, the recipient did not press on the web-link.

Instead, RCMP drew police's attention towards the e-mail. When the bank was contacted, the financial institution substantiated that it wouldn't ever communicate with the card-owner that way.

Reiterating for people in general, it's advisable that they shouldn't answer any e-mail whose sender is unrecognizable.

Elsewhere Stuart stated that within the current instance, the e-mail's sender id displayed serv@card.com. According to him, incase of any queries by the recipient about his payment card or bank, he should speak to the issuer immediately. Canada.com published this dated February 22, 2013.

RCMP officials, for the safety of Internet bankers, state that they must know their bank won't ever dispatch them an electronic mail, else phone them up soliciting their private information like personal card number, the maiden name of their mother, or password for their Internet-based banking. In fact, they should treat all uninvited e-mails with suspicion which sound too urgent or alert that closure, limited access, or suspension of their accounts is about to happen incase of response failure.

Conclusively, it's important to recognize a scam e-mail for remaining protected. RCMP advises that immediately after informing about a fake electronic mail to the recipient's financial institution else to an agency regulating crime, similar to RCMP, the message must be erased permanently.

» SPAMfighter News - 3/1/2013