Banking Phishing Scams

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Banking phishing scams (also called Bank Phishing Spams) involves the use of e-mails, spoofed to appear as if they are sent from well known financial institutions. These e-mails normally contains a single image hyper link to lure the victim to a server where sensitive information like account numbers, credit card numbers, passwords and pins are requested, under the false impression that the information is needed to update the client's account information. It is common protocol practised by most banks worldwide not to send e-mails like this to their clients. It is also easy to tell that the "link" supplied in the e-mail is fraudulent because it is an image embedded into the e-mail creating the impression of a single link that the user can click on, while the whole image in fact is a link. No ethical and honest institution sends out e-mails like this. The image is normally followed by senseless text (called hash buster text) in order to fool spam filters. Again, no professional institution includes senseless, confusing information in their correspondence with their clients.

Remember, when your bank suspends access to your account, they will request that you visit them in person, at one of their official branches, with a valid identification document, to have the suspension removed. This will never be done via e-mail or the telephone. Do not reply to such an e-mail or use any of the contact information contained therein, rather contact your bank directly by using reliable contact information.

Below are links to copies of typical Banking phishing scam e-mails. Note that the original formatting of the e-mails was preserved and this is more or less how they look when you open them. We have disabled the links in the e-mails because they point to dangerous locations that may result in identity theft, financial loss or they might infect your computer with viruses or spyware.

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