More US Bank Phishing Scams
Summary:Emails claiming to be from US Bank ask recipients to click a link and provide personal information on a webpage.
Status:False
Example:(Submitted via email, 2004)
Dear U.S. Bank valued member,
Due to concerns, for the safety and integrity of the online
banking community we have issued this warning message.
It has come to our attention that your account information needs
to be updated due to inactive members, frauds and spoof reports.
If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online
experience and renew your records you will not run into any
future problems with the online service. However, failure to
update your records will result in account suspension. This
notification expires on May 20, 2004.
Once you have updated your account records your internet banking
service will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.
Please follow the link below
and renew your account information.
U.S. Bank Internet Banking
Commentary:
Like a number of other major financial institutions, the US bank
is once again the target of phishing scammers. Emails supposedly
from the US bank use a variety of excuses to trick customers into visiting a bogus website. The example above claims that customers need to update their accounts "due to inactive members, frauds and spoof reports". A link in
the email leads to a fraudulent website that asks for sensitive
personal and banking information. Although such websites may look like an official bank site, they are created solely to trick people into providing personal information directly to the scammers responsible. The scam email reproduced above is just one example in a long line of similar emails that have targeted US Bank.
US bank has
more information and reporting procedures regarding these fraudulent emails on their website.
Another
popular target for phishing scammers is Citibank.
Read
more information about phisher scams in general.
Write-up by Brett M.Christensen
