Watch Out for Phishing Scams

We’ve all heard of phishing scams. There are numerous attempts everyday to get you to give up your personal information. And I received one recently. Sadly, it went to my inbox. But before I mark it spam and send it on its way, I want to share it with you. Here is screenshot of the offending email from my inbox:

I would like to draw your attention to a few things that tip me off that this is, in fact, a phishing scam. First of all, the return email address is “account”, and it it goes to a European site. While European sites are not always sources of scams, why would Visa send me a survey from Europe? I’m an American customer, with an American account, with an American company.

Another tip off is the poor English grammar and spelling. A legitimate company has plenty of money to make sure that everything is tip-top. I didn’t open the attachment because, well, I’m concerned. It is an html attachment, which means it will take me, automatically, to a web site. I have no desire to perhaps visit a site that could, possibly, implant malicious code while trying to get my personal information.

In the end, it pays to be cautious. If you aren’t sure, call the customer service number on the back of the card. Never call a number provided to you in the email.