14 DAY TRIAL // Users are advised to be on the lookout for suspicious emails that purport to come from American Express and inform them of unusual activity in their accounts. Variations of this scam have been doing the rounds for years, leveraging the names of several financial institutions.
The phishing emails, identified and analyzed by Hoax Slayer, read something like this:
“Dear Valued Customer, We detected irregular activity on your American Express. Check Card on 8th October 2013. As the Primary Contact, you must verify your account activity before you can continue using your card, and upon verification, we will remove any restrictions placed on your account. To review your account as soon as possible please.”
The links from these bogus notifications point to a legitimate-looking website where users are asked to hand over various pieces of information, including online banking and email usernames and passwords, credit card details, social security numbers and contact data.
Check out the gallery to see what the phishing page looks like. In case you come across such a website, keep in mind that financial organizations will never ask you to hand over such information.
If you’re already a victim, change your passwords and keep a close eye on your bank account.
