Phishing alert: ‘Visa Card Notification’ and ‘Update IRS E-File’ making the rounds
Posted by: Timothy Tibbetts on 04/22/2014 06:46 AM [ Comments ]
2 new scams are making the rounds via email in a phishing attempt reports Hoax Slayer. Phishing is a way to try and steal personal and financial information by opening a fake website and getting your login details.
The first one is timely, claiming you need to update your IRS e-file and uses a somewhat threatening or urgent tone. It basically reads:
Subject: Attention: View Return Status (IRS.gov)
From: IRS.gov
IRS.gov
**********
Internal Revenue Service.
you are to update your IRS e-file immediately, To Update - < Click Here >
USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal.
IRS e-file. Since 1990
The second should be more obvious because it’s another credit card scam that claims suspicious activity has been detected. Everyone should know your credit card company would call you immediately, not email you. These emails read something like this:
Subject: Access to your Visa card has been blocked
Visa Card Status Notification
We are contacting you to Inform you that our Visa Card security department identified some unusual activity in your card. In accordance with Visa Card User Agreement and to ensure that your Visa Card has not been accessed from fraudulent locations, access to your Visa Card has been limited. Your Visa Card access will remain limited until this issue has been resolved please Click My Visa Card Activity to continue.
My Visa Card Activity
We take your online safety seriously, which is why we use state of the art notification systems to identify unusual activity and a challenge process to validate your details.
Thanks for banking with Visa.
Customer Finance Department
© Visa & Co, 2014.
Credit card theft is huge. A while back, after having my card stolen at a gas station, I learned the hard way and I took the time to write my findings in an article titled 5 ways to protect yourself from credit card skimming at gas stations
.
Subject: Attention: View Return Status (IRS.gov)
From: IRS.gov
IRS.gov
**********
Internal Revenue Service.
you are to update your IRS e-file immediately, To Update - < Click Here >
USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal.
IRS e-file. Since 1990
The second should be more obvious because it’s another credit card scam that claims suspicious activity has been detected. Everyone should know your credit card company would call you immediately, not email you. These emails read something like this:
Subject: Access to your Visa card has been blocked
Visa Card Status Notification
We are contacting you to Inform you that our Visa Card security department identified some unusual activity in your card. In accordance with Visa Card User Agreement and to ensure that your Visa Card has not been accessed from fraudulent locations, access to your Visa Card has been limited. Your Visa Card access will remain limited until this issue has been resolved please Click My Visa Card Activity to continue.
My Visa Card Activity
We take your online safety seriously, which is why we use state of the art notification systems to identify unusual activity and a challenge process to validate your details.
Thanks for banking with Visa.
Customer Finance Department
© Visa & Co, 2014.
Credit card theft is huge. A while back, after having my card stolen at a gas station, I learned the hard way and I took the time to write my findings in an article titled 5 ways to protect yourself from credit card skimming at gas stations
.
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