Checking your email every day can be hazardous to your health – your financial health, that is.
I was reminded of that recently after being forwarded a handful of emails from some Albuquerque folks about an E-ZPass phishing scam, which has been spreading across the country in the past few months.
E-ZPass is an electronic toll collection system based in Delaware that operates in 15 states – primarily along the Eastern Seaboard and the Upper Midwest – that allows subscribers to zip through designated highway lanes without having to stop to pay the toll.
The mass distribution of these emails prompted both the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau to issue alerts for consumers to ignore these emails, which basically claim the recipients owe unpaid toll money.
The bogus email contains a hyperlink that if clicked will do more than take you to a phony invoice. More likely, the FTC says, it will download malware directly onto your computer. And if you respond by sharing your personal and financial information, you could put yourself near the front of the line for identity theft, too.
E-ZPass isn’t the only company that has watched its name and logo hijacked by scammers. As a result, many now post warnings to consumers prominently on their websites, alerting them to the dangers of falling prey to these phishing scams.
Here is a sampling of email messages I’ve received in the past few months either directly or from readers. Keep in mind that they didn’t really come from the companies listed:
- Itunes: “This is an automated message from the system so that you know you need to confirm your account information within 48 hours. Your account is temporarily closed to protect it.”
- Wells Fargo: “Due to a recent upgrade on your account, we wish to inform you of an important update on your billing details. An update form is attached to this email, download and fill accordingly.
- Payoneer: “To get back into your Payoneer account, you’ll need to confirm your account. It’s easy. Click the link below to open a secure browser window.”
If those aren’t convincing enough, there’s this one purportedly from the desk of JP Morgan Chase Co. CEO Jamie Dimon addressed to the “legitimate entitled owner” of $5 million. The recipient was told he had to reconfirm his information, “which will be used to set up the account on your name here in the JP Morgan Chase Bank New York ok.”
And last week, I heard from an Albuquerque man who had received an email from someone claiming to be associated with Bank of America.
“Your access to Online Services has been suspended due to a mis-match of Passcode through various devices,” read the email that came with the words “Account Blocked!!” in the subject line. “To enable you continue accessing your online account, it will only take you few minutes to re-activate your account. Click on the guide-link below … you have just 2 days to do this.”
To his credit, the recipient said he immediately became suspicious based on a number of factors, including that he had been able to download two account statements the previous day. He also took note of several misspellings and the improper use of the English language, which is common in many email scams.
So what should you do if you receive one of these phishing emails?
Here’s what the FTC advises: Don’t reply. Don’t click on any links. Don’t call the listed telephone number. Just hit the delete button – once for the message in your inbox and then a second time for the version in your deleted or trash folder.
If you do follow the link, chances are good it will take you to a website that looks legitimate but was created solely to entice you to reveal personal and financial information, such as passwords, Social Security and credit card/bank account numbers.
And if you are unsure whether the email is a hoax because you do business with the company in question, dig out a recent financial statement and call the customer service number listed there – not the fake one listed in the email.
Nick Pappas is assistant business editor at the Albuquerque Journal and writes a blog called “Scammed, Etc.” Contact him at npappas@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3847 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division toll-free at 1-800-678-1508.