For more than four months, fraudulent emails have been going out that falsely appear to be coming from the Better Business bureau.
A person who receives one of the emails is meant to be fooled into thinking a complaint has been filed against that person’s business, according to a Better Business Bureau statement.
The emails have gone to businesses, but they have also gone to individuals who have never owned a business, as well as to email addresses for educational, nonprofit and governmental groups.
If a person clicked on the link within one of these emails, that person’s computer is likely to be infected, according to the bureau. The criminals then use that malware to transfer money out of bank accounts or obtain additional email addresses.
The bureau is directing multiple resources to combat this attack.
The agency has hired security specialists to track the fraudulent emails and shut down the websites hosting the malware. The bureau also has been working with forensic criminal experts to make sure no malware has infiltrated the bureau’s computers or those of its vendors.
People can do two things immediately to prevent being victimized by phishing scams:
• Install good anti-virus software on your computer(s) and get regular updates of virus definitions several times a day.
• Never click on links in emails that arrive unsolicited.
Go online for more information.