BBB Warns of New Scam
The Better Business Bureau is warning all businesses in Northwest Florida of a spoofing scam using the BBB name and a false BBB e-mail address to entice recipients to access potentially damaging hyperlinks.
Recently, a firm had its computer system hacked and that firm's system generated thousands of counterfeit messages to businesses and consumers, purporting to be a complaint filed with the BBB. Since then, another firm was hacked and similar e-mails have been received by businesses across the country.
The attack has NOT affected the computer systems of the BBB nor has any of its data been compromised. As with most other phishing attacks, the perpetrators have attempted to pose as a respected business to gain the confidence of phishing victims. The BBB is working with authorities to thwart these malicious attacks.
The most recent e-mail has a false return address of complains-serv@bbb.org and a phishing hyperlink citing a BBB complaint case number, for example, "Complaint Case Number: 363619942". These links actually direct access to a subdirectory of the hacked firm's Web site where users are asked to download documents related to the complaint. The download is actually an executable file that is believed to be some form of a computer virus.
All recipients are advised that any e-mail from the “consumer-complaints@bbb.org” or “complains-serv@bbb.org” addresses are not coming from any BBB and should be considered counterfeit. The BBB strongly encourages recipients of any such message to delete the message immediately without clicking on the "DOCUMENTS FOR CASE" links.
The phishing e-mail return addresses consumer-complaints@bbb.org and complains-serv@bbb.org do not exist and are being "spoofed. Spoofing occurs when an e-mail address is altered to appear as if the message originated from a legitimate source. This is a common practice for both spam e-mail and phishing operations.
Phishing is a term coined by computer hackers, who use e-mail to fish the Internet hoping to "hook" recipients into giving them logins, passwords and/or other sensitive information. In all these scams, the phisher first impersonates a legitimate company. In a typical scam, the phisher instructs recipients to click on a convenient link to receive or provide information that can then be used by phishers to access the recipient's sensitive personal or business information.
For more information about phishing and for tips to avert other scams, visit BBB online or contact the Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida by mail at one of their two offices in the Emerald Coast:
Pensacola
912 E. Gadsden Street
Pensacola, FL 32501
(850) 429-0026 member line
Panama City
2012 Lisenby Avenue
Suite B
Panama City, FL 32405
(800) 729-9226 Toll Free