BBB Advises Consumers to Beware of Phishing E-mails this Holiday Season

Dec. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, N.C. (December 5, 2011) — Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina warns of two phishing scams this holiday season. Scammers are taking advantage of consumers by impersonating well-known companies, including UPS and FedEx, in order to steal their personal information.

Hackers are sending phishing e-mails, with phony tracking numbers, from shipping companies claiming that there is a problem with delivery of merchandise. The e-mail instructs consumers to open an attachment to print out the correct delivery label. Upon opening the attachment, the consumer’s computer is infected with malware.

E-cards are also being used by scammers as a disguise for phishing e-mails. With typical e-cards, the recipient receives an e-mail with a hyperlink that will take the user to the e-card, which is housed on a Web site. Unfortunately, this is an easy way for scammers to direct consumers to their Web sites, which will install viruses on their computer.

“As consumers prepare for the holiday season, scam artists are unleashing numerous scams designed to install malware on computers.” said Toby Barfield, president and CEO of BBB serving Eastern North Carolina. “Scammers are posing as trusted businesses to take advantage of the seasonal increase in online shopping and shipping of merchandise all across the country.”

BBB offers the following advice on how to avoid becoming a victim this holiday season:

Grammatical errors.  An e-mail featuring spelling and grammatical mistakes is a red flag. If you are skeptical of an e-mail, delete it immediately and do not click on any links or attachments.

Unfamiliar names.  Do not follow the link in an e-mail if you do not recognize the name of the sender. Be cautious as hackers will often use logos from recognized brands and companies in order to appear legitimate. Consumers who receive suspicious e-mails should report them to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Contact the company.  Before opening the e-mail, contact the company directly to confirm whether there truly is a shipping problem with your package.

For additional information on scams during the holidays, visit bbb.org.   


About BBB serving Eastern North Carolina
Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by BBB Accredited Business fees from more than 3,000 local businesses and professional firms. BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by BBB include reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, consumer/business education programs and dispute resolution services. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration. Visit bbb.org.