Burnaby, May 21 2008: The BC Crime Prevention Association wishes to alert e-mail users to the latest twist in “phishing” scams in which fraudsters exploit one’s natural curiosity about unexpected wealth.

In a recent phishing e-mail, reproduced below, TD/Canada Trust customers are lured into peeking at their bank account balance to see if there really is a sudden boost to their wealth from an unexpected source. This novel approach moves away from traditional phishing techniques of alarming bank customers about security upgrades to online banking, etc to a more direct approach that is sure to catch some people off guard.

The technique combines elements of the Interac E-Mail Money Transfer service offered by many financial institutions with an outright lie to convince unsuspecting customers that a windfall sum of money has been posted to their account.

“The very prospect of an unexpected deposit will tempt some customers to quickly check their balance via the link in the message,” comments Valerie MacLean, Executive Director of the BC Crime Prevention Association. ”This is what the ‘phisher’ is relying upon to capture personal and banking information or download malware to the victim’s computer.”

The BCCPA offers the following suggestions and comments:

• Do not click on any link within an unsolicited e-mail; DELETE the entire message.
• If you do click on this link, you may receive a warning that the link will take you to a known phishing site and to go no further. Heed this advice.
• If the sender (in this case “James Sullivan”) is unknown to you, it is fair to assume that this is a scam.
• If you are still not convinced that the alleged deposit is phony, check your bank account balance by using recommended means, not through an e-mail link.
• TD/Canada Trust has excellent advice on Internet Security and the threats of phishing e-mails on its website at: http://www.tdcanadatrust.com/security/index.jsp
• Computer users should anticipate similar phishing e-mails purporting to originate with other financial institutions.
• Always practice safe computing – stop and think before reacting too quickly to e-mail messages that pretend to bring you new wealth.
• Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

PHISHING E-MAIL reproduced here:

Dear Customer,
JAMES SULIVAN made an online funds transfer to your online account.
The details of this transaction are shown below.

Transfer Date and Time: 12/05/08 at 07:34 AM
Transfer Amount: $Cdn 3,470.00
Transfer Description: PAYMENT

To view this transaction and your current balance, please CLICK HERE
If you have any questions related to this message or the funds transfer,
please contact JAMES SULLIVAN. Please do not reply to this message.

Sincerely,
TD Canada Trust Online Service

Privacy Policy | Internet Security | Legal | TD Group Financial Services Site - Copyright © TD


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This news release is one of a series in which the BCCPA offers advice under its Crime Shield banner to give the public the tools they need through education and awareness to protect themselves against crime.
Our new Ask an Expert column is an additional resource for crime prevention information pertinent to British Columbia. The column can be viewed at www.bccpa.org. Topics will be frequently updated and refreshed depending upon response.
The British Columbia Crime Prevention Association (BCCPA) is a recognized team of citizens, business and police dedicated to preventing crime through community partnerships and consumer awareness.

Media Contacts:

Valerie MacLean                                              Jeff Burton
Executive Director                                                Manager Programs & Projects
BC Crime Prevention Association                          BC Crime Prevention Association
604-291-9959 Ext.226                                         604-291-9959 Ext.234
v.maclean@bccpa.org                                          j.burton@bccpa.org