help.cableone.net

E-Mail Fraud / E-mail Scams / Phishing / Spoofing

Warning: There has been a recent rash of e-mail scams that claim to be an e-mail account, password change confirmation from Cable ONE. The FROM address is usually "support@cableone.net" and a .ZIP file is usually attached to the email.

***** Note that the .ZIP file may contain a virus. *****
***** Do not open the .ZIP file unless you know what it is and who it came from .*****

Please note that Cable ONE does not send change confirmation emails of this nature. Also, Cable ONE will never ask you to enter or verify personal or account information in an email form. If you receive an email like this, please forward it to abuse@cableone.net.

Cable One wants you to be on the lookout for fraudulent e-mails that may appear in your inbox. A fraudulent e-mail may look very authentic and may come from a company you know. The fraudulent e-mail is designed to obtain your passwords, credit card, or other important information by having you complete an online "verification" form. This form captures personal information about your identity which can then be used for other criminal activity. Common scams include online bank login pages, eBay & PayPal verification requests.

Here are some some suggestions. Read all requests for information suspiciously. Especially those asking you to fill in a web form to log in and "verify information". These requests can appear very authentic. Don't be fooled by graphics and official looking pages. Also web links may appear authentic, (www.ebay.com/verify) but in fact mask a fraudulent location. For example, this link- http://www.google.com/ does not link to Google, but rather to Yahoo. It is very simple for a fraudulent e-mail to link you to an "official" page. Even a page that simply asks you to log in with your eBay password, may in fact capture and store your password and there by allowing the user to impersonate you.

Would you answer your phone and give you credit card information out to anyone who calls? No you would not, so take the same precautions when using the world wide web. Usually you should only be asked for credit card information when you purchase something online, not via an email sent to you.

If you suspect you have entered personal information into an unauthorized site, you should contact the true site for more information or contact your local police. Cable One's Spam Patrol stops many of these scams, but some make it through on occasion until reported.

from CNN:
FILTERING FRAUD
E-mail filtering firms offer these tips for consumers to fight the 'phishing' scam:

•Don't trust e-mail headers, which can be forged easily.

•Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages. You can't know with certainty where the data will be sent and the information can make several stops on the way to the recipient.

•Try not to click on links in an e-mail message from a company. Too many scam artists are making forgeries of company's sites that look like the real thing.

•If you go to a link offered in an unsolicited e-mail, check to see if there is an 's' after the http in the address and a lock at the bottom of the screen. Both are indicators that the site is secure.

•If you want to do business online, don't click on an e-mail link. Go to the company's Web site yourself and fill out information there.

Complete article click here

Questions to ask yourself:
Ask yourself the question why does this web site want me to re-enter my information again?	SUSPICIOUS
Was the email addressed to more then one e-mail address?	SUSPICIOUS
Why do they want my Credit Card / Banking Information, when I have not just tried to purchase something?	SUSPICIOUS
Why is there not a phone number I can call and talk to a live person?	SUSPICIOUS
Why doesn't the official web site have any information about this e-mail campaign?	SUSPICIOUS

Additional resources and information:

Citibank - fraud - HOT
http://www.citibank.com/domain/redirect/footer/abuse.htm
eBay
http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/problems-identity-theft.html
Monster.com
http://help.monster.com/besafe/
FTC Consumer Alert - How Not to Get Hooked by a 'Phishing' Scam
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/phishingalrt.htm
U.S. Government ID Theft Site:
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
BBB ID Theft Site:
http://www.newyork.bbb.org/identitytheft/newscams.html
Anti-Phishing Working Group
http://www.antiphishing.org/
Identity Theft Resource Center
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml
Nigerian Bank / West African Inheritance
http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Business/nigerian.htm