AppRiver, one of America’s leading email security providers, has intercepted bogus emails that attempt to lure Bank of Pensacola customers into divulging personal financial information through phony email messages. The Bank of Pensacola is just one of many across the country whose customers have been targeted.
The customers receive phony emails that include the bank’s logo and a Website link where they are directed to enter personal data in order to correct an error in the bank’s records. However, a customer who follows those instructions could be setting themselves up to become victims of identity theft.
According to AppRiver’s security experts, scam artists who have long targeted customers of large, national banks are now turning their sights toward local financial institutions. “Spear-phishing†as it is known in the industry is an effort to fool consumers who might well question such inquiries from a national bank, but who might not suspect that their local financial institution could be a target.
“We are accustomed to seeing these scams aimed at Citigroup, Chase and other large banks,†said Joel Smith, AppRiver’s chief technical officer and co-founder. “This is the first time we have caught this fraud directed at customers of a bank in our own community.â€
Smith cautioned that, although AppRiver’s service will catch these emails and reveal them for what they are, people who do not have the service need to be cautious about any email asking for personal information or coming from someone unknown to them.
“The basic rule of thumb is, if you don’t know the sender, don’t open the mail,†Smith said. “And remember that most banks will not ask you for your account number via email or on the web.â€
