'Friendly' email phishing scam – how to stay safe
This email phishing scam fools you into thinking that a kind-hearted citizen is trying to help you when it's really a scammer.
Scammers have changed their tune with a new raft of 'friendly' phishing emails.
They encourage the victim to click on a link in the email under the premise that the unwitting recipient has already been scammed.
The fraudster tells the victim that they are a ‘law abiding citizen’ who has been sent the recipient’s personal details in error.
A document is attached that the scammer claims contains said personal details.
They go on to warn that the details may be available to scammers and that they want to rectify the problem.
Of course, the link they provide contains malware which the victim downloads onto their computer, and the malware will try to obtain sensitive information like bank details in order to swipe the victim's money.
Action Fraud said it received 226 reports of this email in the last three days of March.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fyfe of City of London Police said: “The sheer number of reports that we have received is concerning and reports continue to be made.
"We are warning the public to be vigilant and not click on links or attachments from unknown recipients or in unsolicited emails.”
What else can I do?
Action Fraud recommends a few other measures to help you protect your details:
- Be on the lookout for spoof email addresses that look genuine. Check the email domain (the last part of the email address). If it seems dodgy, don’t trust it;
- Don’t enable macros in download – enabling the macro will allow the malware to be installed onto your device;
- Always install system updates as soon as they become available as they often contain fixes for critical security vulnerabilities;
- Create regular back-ups of your important files on an external hard drive, memory stick or online storage provider. If you’re backing up data onto a device, make sure it’s not left connected to your computer as the malware will spread to that too.
Remember to report any suspicious communications to Action Fraud.
Clicked on a dodgy link? Find out what to do next by reading Identity theft: what to do if you fall victim to ID fraud.
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