Don't get hooked by would-be fraudsters Have your wits about you because phishing fraud is on the rise
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The email looked genuine enough, it had the right branding, and the request was important without being so urgent that it raised undue alarm. He responded to the request, intending to sort out the dodgy images on the ad, but on discovering there wasn't a problem, realised what he'd done and called the host who advised him to log out straight away. He did and disaster was averted (see the Mascus story opposite). The phishing email scam has long been the preserve of mainly West Africans looking for help to transfer money from a third country, or banks requesting you log into your account. Then there is spear-phishing, where personal information is used to earn trust and lower the intended victim's defences, thus increasing the chances they will open attachments or embedded links.
The email looked genuine enough, it had the right branding, and the request was important without being so urgent that it raised undue alarm. He responded to the request, intending to sort out the dodgy images on the ad, but on discovering there wasn't a problem, realised what he'd done and called the host who advised him to log out straight away. He did and disaster was averted (see the Mascus story opposite). The phishing email scam has long been the preserve of mainly West Africans looking for help to transfer money from a third country, or banks requesting you log into your account. Then there is spear-phishing, where personal information is used to earn trust and lower the intended victim's defences, thus increasing the chances they will open attachments or embedded links.
Action Fraud, an online fraud reporting service that works with the Home Office, has identified increased activity by criminals towards businesses.
It has always been easy to be wise after the event, but many smallto mediumsized businesses still don't take the defence of their website and its vital statistics seriously.
The reason behind this is financial: if the businesses don't lose or get asked for money, the deception isn't obvious. However, the real problem behind some of these phishing expeditions targeting used dealers is the potential harm they can do to a business's reputation.
The reason behind this is financial: if the businesses don't lose or get asked for money, the deception isn't obvious. However, the real problem behind some of these phishing expeditions targeting used dealers is the potential harm they can do to a business's reputation.
Having gained the intended victim's username and password, the scammer can upload pictures of machines and trucks that are supposedly for sale to the company account. Potential buyers keen for an attractive deal will then be asked for a deposit. All the potential buyer would have for reference is the genuine dealer's details, not the criminal's. The message is simple, be on your guard.