14 DAY TRIAL // Bank of America customers should be on the lookout for malicious emails that inform them of a new verification process. The bogus notifications are part of a scheme launched by cybercriminals in an effort to trick users into handing over their personal and financial information.
The emails in question carry the subject line “Bank of America Alert: Thats New Required Verification Process From Bank of America Alert,” and they read something like this:
“To ensure delivery, add [email protected] to your address book.
ONLINE BANKING ALERT
SECURITY CHECKPOINT:
REMEMBER: Always look for your SiteKey® before entering your Passcode.
DEAR BANK OF AMERICA CUSTOMER: Check this steps to protect your account from fraud because our account review team have detected irregular activities on your Bank of America debit card on 01/12/2014.”
The link in the email doesn’t point to a Bank of America website. Instead, it points to a malicious site that’s set up to host a BoA phishing page.
Here, victims are asked to hand over their online ID, driver’s license number, passcode, social security number, banking and credit card information, and other details.
Interestingly, the page is designed to check the information entered by the victim to make sure it’s valid.
In case you come across suspicious Bank of America emails, act with caution. As a general rule, if you’re asked to hand over personal or financial information, you’re probably targeted by cybercriminals.
If you’re a victim of this scam, you must change all your passwords and contact the bank immediately. You should also sign up for some identity theft protection service since the information handed over to the fraudsters can be abused for various illegal activities.
At the time of writing, the phishing page is still live. However, it has been flagged by Google.