Beware Malicious E-card Phishing

I read about this in my latest Windows newsletter and although e-card phishing has been around for a couple of years it's worth re-visiting especially for those among us who love not only receiving ecards but sending them.

"Phishing" according to Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing) is an attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication such as eBay, PayPal and online banks. Phishers disguise themselves as legitimate websites and it's difficult to tell the fake sites from the real ones. That also applies tor phishing emails disguised as real ones including e-card announcements. The common goal of all phishers is identity theft.

Beware of an e-card announcement email that has something like this in the subject line:

A friend has sent you an e-card from [name of a legitimate e-card website]

The body of the announcement instructs you to download a file in order to view your e-card:

download and view your e-card
Your e-card number is:
GreetingCardNr7496336687.flash

If in any doubt, don't open it and delete the message.


Other ways to protect yourself from email phishing:

• Delete any e-card from someone you don't know.

• Read the company website's Terms of Service before clicking 'Agree'! . You'd be surprised what phishing sites get unsuspecting visitors to agree to knowing that most of us NEVER read a long and lengthy ToS.

• Of course having effective and constantly updated antivirus software goes without saying.

• Proceed with caution when an e-card announcement comes with an attachment even if it appears that the e-card has been sent by someone you know.