MX Lab experts warn internauts to be on the lookout

Jun 20, 2013 17:11 GMT  ·  By

Users from Belgium are advised to be on the lookout for emails in which they’re informed by the financial institution BNP Paribas that they’ve won money in a lottery. 

The emails – which claim to be sent by BNP Paribas Fortis and the National Lottery of Belgium – are fake, and they’re designed by cybercriminals to trick users into handing over their personal and financial details.

According to MX Lab experts, victims are instructed to access a website and perform a security update on their bank accounts.

“Volgens BNP PARIBAS FORTIS en nationale-loterij.be database heeft uw rekening recht op €35,000.00 (vijf en dertig duizend euro), maar uw rekening is nog niet gekoppeld aan onze nieuw beveiliging update. Dit toekenningsprogramma is voor zowel BNP PARIBAS FORTIS persoon en bedrijf rekeningshouders,” the emails read in Dutch.

The site the victims are led to appears to belong to the National Lottery. However, in reality, it’s a website that’s designed to harvest personal and financial information and send it back to the crooks.