US Bank customers

[Navigator]

I know there are a lot of false alarms about e-mail frauds but I know this is legitimate cause I just got one... and I'm not even a customer!!!

 

I got an e-mail that said I should follow this link and update all my personal information otherwise my account would be closed. Now even if I was a customer I would still find this suspect so I read the source and it came from some bullshit yahoo address. Plus every last link was a to the same redirect script.

 

Whoever put this together tried very hard to copy the US bank website to give it a more legitimate feel. I just got off the phone with one of the people whose responsible for dealing with these things and she had me forward the e-mail.

 

This may be old and it just got to me, or it may be new and I was one of the first, but either way,be careful.

 

No banking institution would have you change/update all your personal information this way and they certainly would not close your account.

 

Just thought I'd give fair warning.

[Bill W]

Nav, unfortunately these emails have been expanding as ways to get your confidential information. It started with emails sent to MSN, AOL or other ISP users, telling them their account information was outdated and the service would be discontinued if it wasn't updated. Next came the 'you won this prize', but we need your account information to get you the money. Then they tried to pose as credit card companies trying to verify your account information and now these same frauds are pretending to be banks. Best rule of thumb is... never give out that information online. Call or go to that institution instead, especially if there is any question as to the authenticity of the communique.

[Navigator]

Oh that was exactly what I did. It was quite obvious to me that this was a fraud and even if I were a U.S. Bank customer I would have spotted it a mile away, but these assholes are getting shiftier and I tell you, with the exception of the wording, the page looked DAMNED close to the U.S. Bank site.

 

As someone who works in the IT field, specifically web, I know how easy that is to pull off but usually there are just enough major differences to tell. This time, the only significant difference was the links. Everyone was exactly the same and to a re-direct script. Had the content been more subtle and had I actually been a memeber, it would have been hard to spot.

 

For that reason, I always double check the full headers and the code behind the e-mail, just to be sure.

[Forloyn]

I enjoy the paypal ones I get about every other week.

 

good for laughs.

 

I just forward them to abuse@paypal.com and all is good

[Guest jamieanderson]

I can't remember which bank was the first one that I apparently received one of these from. However my initial reaction was, why does the bank need this information? I mean, they would have to have totally lost their ENTIRE database. Now if they had lost their database, by what miracle did they manage to save my email address?

 

Like Forloyn I had a spate of paypal spoofs. Each warned me that if I didn't give them my details within 5 business days I'd lose my account. As Garfield says, "Big Fat Hairy Deal!" I also reported them to the paypal abuse line, who advised me to ignore them, which I was already doing. After a while they stopped.

 

Of course you can always fill in the details and mail them off. After all most of us can use a random number generator to provide most of the answers.

 

Jamie.