"We're not phishing, honest!!" Topic

Received the following in an email today (Nationwide is a UK bank):

"Dear NationWide Customer,
We have noticed that online scam artists are on the rise to defraud unsuspecting Internet Banking users, They are asking customers to provide their account details for Account Update. Our regularly scheduled account maintenance and verification procedures, we have detected a slight error in your account information.
This might be due to either of the following reasons:
1. A recent change in your personal information ( i.e. change of address).
2. Submitting invalid information during the initial sign up process.
Verify your information by clicking the link below:"

Oh yes, pull the other one, it's got bells on! I like the subtle grammatical errors in the first two sentences …

I keep getting similar ones claiming to come from Barclays. I've never banked with Barclays in my life so they're a bit ****ing obvious as phishing.
As you say "pull the other one".

But always remember Mike, not many people are as clever as you……….

DBDD

I must have got on these guys' (or someone similar's) data base. I have had over 50 of these things over the past year and a half – but only one approach from someone connected with the Nigerian govt.

The first few dozen were all from banks or dept stores I have never dealt with, from States in teh US where I have never been. They all started with spelling or gramatical errors, but were slowly corrected.

Eventually they even sent my one purporting to be from my own actual bank – which was aware of the problem and had been busy issuing warnings about these bozos and NEVER giving out your password info for several weeks beforehand.

It's always worth sending these mails to the relevant bank as they do track down the originators sometimes.

I've been involved in issues with four major banks (three of who I do not have an account with) and to help me protect my own account over the 'Net Barclays have now issued a PIN Sentry machine that means I have to carry it and my bank card everywhere so I can use the Internet banking. Every time I need to access the site, in goes my card and pin, out comes an eight digit number that I then have to key in. Strange thing is that it will not stop web page hijacks but sure looks good.

PayPal works well for me but it is still subject to the same spoofing. I've got so fed up with electronic footprints, cards and PIN systems that I use cash or direct debit where I can and am wondering if it is very comfy under the mattress?

Andrew

Heh. I'm in the UK, and apparently the IRS wants to send me a tax rebate. I think that's about as kosher as a bacon sandwich.