More gift card scam emails

MailShark has alerted us to more scam email which promise the recipient a gift card (or the chance to win a gift card) and seem to be the in vogue modus operandi of criminals this festive season. 

Two new scam emails offering a gift card if the recipient clicks on a link and fills out a few details about themselves have been discovered and RPS advised people to be vigilant and to think before they follow links and click!

The details you are asked to fill out are the recipient's personally identifiable information and financial information. Don't be gullible!

The first email is a JB Hi Fi lookalike email where the recipient is told they can “Claim your potential $500 JB Hi Fi Gift Card”. Take a look at the pictures.

This particular email was personally addressed to the recipient but the sections addressing the recipient have been blacked out as has the email address of the recipient.

In terms of phishing, this effort represents a moderate level of complexity. The obvious giveaway is that none of the provided links go back to JB Hi Fi. Checking on the links this morning they lead to a phishing site.

The second email shown is offering a Myer Gift Card; all the recipient has to do is click on a link, answer a few questions and they will be entered in the draw to win the voucher.

As phishing emails do, this one is moderately complex. It has some of the hallmarks of the previously mentioned JB Hi Fi phishing email, including how the recipient could “potentially” win a Myer gift card.

Once again, however, the links in the email do not lead back to Myer. Once again they lead to a phishing site.

There has been a flood of these types of emails over the last two weeks.  Take care if you do receive emails.

• Mouse over the links to check they are valid.
• Check on the retailer’s web site to see what promotions they are currently running.
• Don’t download any software contained in an email; several ransomware attacks have been spread via email attachments.

For more information please contact [email protected]

With thanks to MailShark for this interesting advice and for more articles please see the folowing link www.mailshark.com.au