Confirm account details phishing email implores
Another interesting phishing email emerged this week. This email followed the pattern of an earlier Bendigo Bank phishing email published on this site several weeks ago. In this theme, the bank upgrades their internet banking systems and then sends out an email to the user, telling them they must now login and update their account. The latest phishing email flows a similar track, and implores ANZ customers to confirm their account details. It is a fake.
Figure A shows a sample of the email in question. The email is rather nondescript. There is no ANZ branding, and it begins with “Dear Valued Customer”. The subject line of the email is “Account Suspended”, whilst the sender is “ANZ”. From the subject line of the email, it appears that the user’s account has been suspended, but reading the email tends to suggest that the user is merely required to login and confirm their details.
There is a single link provided within the email. The text of the link appears to lead to the legitimate ANZ internet banking site. A supposed ANZ update number is near the bottom of the email, in an attempt at authenticity. The email finishes off with a simple copyright notice, again to make the email appear authentic.
It’s a pretty simple phishing email overall. There is little text within the email, and the sole link could lead you to think you were clicking through to the official ANZ site. However, there are two giveaways that this email is bogus. Firstly, the salutation is not personalised. Banks will always send an email out addressing the name in which an account is held. They certainly would not use “Dear Valued Customer”. The second giveaway is the link. Mousing over it shows that it does not link back to the genuine ANZ site. Instead it leads to a phishing site. The phishing site is designed to steal the user’s banking logins and gain access to their accounts. This email is bogus; if you receive it, delete it.
Scott Reeves
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