Better Business Bureau reports pfishing scams
Fraudulent emails containing malicious links and viruses being sent to businesses and consumers in the name of the BBB
February 4, 2008
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is reporting that fraudulent e-mails are being sent out to businesses and consumers purportedly in the name of the BBB claiming to contain information about a complaint filed with the BBB.
“Fraudulent emails containing malicious links and viruses have been sent to businesses and consumers around the country claiming to contain information on a complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau. None of the BBB's computer and email systems are involved in this hoax,” a BBB national website alert page reports.
E-mail subject lines contain verbiage similar to “BBB Complaint Case #568699140(Ref #19=5047853-74916337-1-474)” and comes from e-mails similar to the ones shown below(none of which are legitimate BBB e-mail addresses):
disputes@us.bbb.org
complaint@bbb.org
idtheft@bbb.org
fraud@bbb.org
consumer-complaints@bbb.org
and other variations
WHAT TO DO IF YOU RECEIVE A FRAUDULENT EMAIL:
• Do NOT click on any of the links or open any of the attachments.
• Please help us (the BBB) in our work with the authorities by forwarding the email and its headers to phishing@cbbb.bbb.org.
Instructions for Outlook users are below.
• Open the message (not the attachment), select ‘View’ from the menu, and then ‘Options’ from the drop down. Or, right click the message in the list of emails and select ‘Options’ from the menu.
• At the bottom of the Message Options dialogue box that opens is a box labeled "Internet Headers" which contains the information we need to track the attacks.
• Select the information in the box and copy it by hitting Ctrl-C on your keyboard, or right-clicking your mouse and selecting "Copy."
• Close the dialogue box and select "Forward" in the message. Paste the headers at the top of the message and address the email to phishing@cbbb.bbb.org.
Source: BBB media release
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