Experts at SophosLabs are
warning MasterCard users to be on their guard against any emails
which claim to come from the company following the discovery of a
phishing campaign which attempts to entice victims with the promise
of money off future purchases.
The content of this phishing email is unusual since it attempts
to lure users to sign up to SecureCode and receive extra security
protection for their MasterCard accounts, by offering a 16 percent
discount on future purchases made with the card. In contrast,
typical phishing campaigns ask users to confirm details for
maintenance purposes or due to database corruption.
In reality, users that click on the link contained within the
email are redirected to a phishing site, set up to look almost
identical to the genuine MasterCard website. Visitors are then
asked to supply confidential information including credit card
expiration date, date of birth and the three digit security code
located on the back of the card - ample information for the
cybercriminals to then access and use the account in question to
steal money.
"MasterCard has been very successful in positioning SecureCode
as the answer to online fraud, and with so many computer users
growing increasingly worried about the risks of shopping online,
the prospect of greater security and money off can be too much to
resist," said Carole
Theriault, senior security consultant, Sophos. "What's more,
phishers are putting a lot more effort into their scams these days
and to the undiscerning eye, it's almost impossible to tell this
isn't the real MasterCard site. Computer users must be wary of
simply clicking on links in unsolicited emails and should take time
to verify the site address first - it may take a little longer, but
will protect your money and identity from preying cybercriminals in
the long run. Also, everyone needs to use a little common sense -
if it seems too good to be true, it probably is."
Sophos recommends companies protect themselves with a
consolidated solution which can control network access and defend
against the threats of spam, hackers, spyware and viruses.
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.