E-Mail Phishing Scam Avoidance Tips

I got an email alert from Wachovia Bank yesterday. The subject line said “Account Locked!”, and I thought to myself “What now?” as Wachovia has been a thorn in my side for while now. I’m just too lazy to look for another bank that’s going to rip me off. So I open the email and it says:

Dear Customer,

We are sorry to inform you that due to the number of incorrect login attempts, your account has been locked for your security.Unlock your account now by clicking the the link below.

It provided a link, but before I clicked on it I noticed that it went to a site that was not Wachovia. I knew this was a scam right away, but I clicked the link to see where it would take me. It took me to a website that looked very similar to Wachovia’s online banking site but it was slightly different. The first picture is an actual screen shot of the real Wachovia online banking site.

I know it’s hard to see, but pay attention to the left side where the login information is.

Looks very similar, but I’ve never seen this Wachovia log-in screen. Not only that but you can see in the center of the second screen shot there is an image that is different than the real site above it. That image was very generic looking and that also tipped me off. There were many links on the fake site that were the same as the real Wachovia site, so you have to watch out for that too. Had I been naive and entered my information in to the  fields on the fake site, I would have given someone full access to my bank account.

When I clicked on the same link to the fake site today, it was gone and there was a notice that said it was removed for web forgery. Someone reported it, but that site may have been up long enough for someone to fall for this scam. It’s far too easy for someone to fabricate a fake website to get your information. People still do it all the time with ebay.com. They hijack peoples accounts, sell a fake item for a high price and take the money and run.

Let me share with you a few things to look for when you receive an email like this.

1. Obviously if you don’t bank with that particular bank, then you know it’s a scam, so spam it.
2. Any links they give you, you should ensure that they go to the specific company or organization that you do business with and nothing else. In this particular case it Took me to http://8204.biz/data/goodsImages/index3.htm
3. Look for punctuation that looks out of place. Such as the Exclamation point in “Account Locked!” and “Thank you for using Online Banking!“. I know they “appreciate my business, but that’s a little too enthusiastic.
4. Look for spelling errors such as the from address. “From Wachovia Alert {wachvoia@alert.com}”  Wachvoia?
5. Look for other grammar errors. Notice that there is no space in between the period and “Unlock” in this part of the letter. “locked for your security.Unlock your account”
6. Look to see if it was specifically addressed to you or if it was sent to “Undisclosed Recipients“. This likely means that it was sent to more than one person. Sadly, someone probably fell for it.

If you have any doubt, close the browser, re-open the browser and go to the normal link or bookmark you would use to do your online banking and try to log in. If your still in doubt, call your bank and ask them if there is any trouble with your account. In this economy the last thing you need is someone stealing your identy and draining your bank account.

For more tips on avoiding internet Phishing Scams visit Fraud.org