Vodafone-Spoofed E-mails in Circulation, Cautions Telecom Giant

Renowned telecommunication company Vodafone Australia has issued an alert to subscribers that malevolent phishing e-mails supposedly sent from the firm are currently circulating online, published softpedia.com dated April 19, 2013.

The scam e-mail titled "Tax Refund," apparently informs the recipient that following the computation of his latest bill payment since his Vodafone operations the telecom's Customer Care executives have figured out that he's entitled for a tax re-imbursement valuing AUD18.60. It's therefore requested that the recipient fill out the tax re-imbursement application while let the company 1-3 days for processing the same. Also, that Vodafone may refund the surplus amount, it requires validating some additional information following which it'll ensure that the amount gets deposited into the person's bank A/C, the e-mail states.

But, the form, which's provided as an e-mail attachment, asks for the user's financial and other personal information.

The e-mail also tries to sound legitimate so it tells that there can be delay in the refund if incorrect records are submitted else the application is made past the expiry date.

However, according to Vodafone, it doesn't dispatch electronic mails requesting customers to furnish confidential personal details like account passwords or credit card info.

Meanwhile, security analysts after studying the currently circulating phishing scam remark that any information typed into Vodafone's fake site can land up with the cyber-thieves for committing ID-theft and card fraud.

Different suggestions for remaining safe from such scams are: keeping one's security software enabled while viewing e-mails that even well-known institutions, banks or companies may send. For, fraudsters frequently utilize names of branded firms like Vodafone within the current instance for duping users into opening the former's sinister e-mails. Moreover, users should be especially doubtful if the messages don't address them by their full name. Finally, users should remain vigilant while viewing any e-mail attachment no matter whether it's from known persons, friends alternatively, popular organizations.

Moreover, cyber-thugs haven't exploited Vodafone alone through a phishing electronic mail attack. Early this year (January 2013), a fake e-mail as bill notification that Telstra the telecom firm of Australia supposedly sent requested recipients to click one attachment for handling their outstanding A/C.

» SPAMfighter News - 4/25/2013