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October 23rd, 2012, 18:51 GMT · By

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Fraudsters Change the Name of the Bank, but the Scam Remains the Same

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Beware of bank phishing sites Enlarge picture - Beware of bank phishing sites
In the past few months, a particular phishing scam that targets the financial details of unsuspecting bank customers has been making the rounds. The interesting thing is that the same message has been used in schemes that involve the names of at least three banks.

The emails look something like this:

“Dear Customer,

We've put lots of security measures in place to help protect you and your money. From secure servers to spotting fraud patterns, we work to stop the criminals in their tracks.

There's lots you can do as well - simply understanding the threats can help you stay safe.

Click below to get Act Now Alerts

Yours sincerely,

Steve Rubenstein
Category Director Everyday Banking at [bank name]”

The interesting thing about this phishing scam is that the name of the bank is changed every month or so. The fake notifications were first spotted as coming from NatWest, then from HSBC, and more recently from Santander.

One noteworthy thing is that the director whose name is used to sign off the alerts actually works for the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Also, the text is copied from the “banking safely online” section on NatWest’s official website.

No matter which of the variants might land in your inbox, I advise you to be extra careful before clicking on the links contained in these notifications, as they can point to well-designed replicas of the banks' sites. 
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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: ReeveYews on 10 Jan 2013, 15:08 UTC reply to this comment

I have received three such messages in the last few weeks, for two different banks. They all look very authentic.


Comment #2 by: Cémoi on 10 Mar 2013, 23:30 UTC reply to this comment

Here is a new version of it:
Your account benefits all in one place
The way you can access your Santander Online Added Value Account benefits online is changing. Instead of visiting this website to manage Sentinel® Card Protection, you’ll be able to do so from one easy-to-manage place – Santander Online Internet Banking.
Once securely logged on to Santander Online Internet Banking, you’ll no longer need to use separate sign in details to manage these benefits. Of course, you’ll need to be registered for Santander Online Internet Banking to use this new feature and take care of your benefits online, because when this change takes place, direct access to this website will close.
If you are not already update your account for Santander Online Internet Banking it is important that you update so that you can continue to manage your Added Value Account benefits online. Go to [website suppressed] for more information.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Rubenstein
Category Director, Everyday Banking

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