Beware of These Frauds! They Keep Trying All Kinds of Phishing Methods!

I have been getting scores of emails and SMS messages announcing me as some winner of some lottery promoted in the name of world famous companies and requesting me to part with some personal information such as bank account details for the company to process the millions of dollars lottery amount to my account. 

The first time I got such an email was some 8 years ago. That time such e-mail frauds were not so well known. Yet my common sense warned me of the likely fraudster or fraudsters behind such a mail. 

I wanted to know more about it and I forwarded the mail to FBI who promptly confirmed the scam.

Since then, I have seen such mails and mobile phone SMS messages in various forms. The fraudulent people behind such activities continue with their acts because they still get a few fellows who get in to their phishing net due to greed for making quick money. 

Today too I got such an email. The subject of the mail said: Confirmation. The sender's email address was given as nandita.anuradha@cognizant.com. I do not know whether there exist a genuine email account holder in that email id or whether the fraudsters have made some software goof ups to send mail using this mail id.

The mail contained a word file attachment. The content of this world file document had been made to look as if it is very genuine. Let me reproduce some of the content below:

CHEVROLET AUTOMOBILE COMPANY

Chevrolet UK PLC, Griffin House,

UK1-101-135, Osborne Road,

Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 3YT

Register company number: 4533384

Telephone: +447010052776

http://www.chevrolet.co.in/enjoy-mpv.html

                                                                                           STAR PRIZE WINNER!

Dear Sir/Madam,               

This is to inform you that you have won a BRAND NEW Chevrolet Cruse CAR and cash prize of  3.6 Crore INR the car comes with a special CHEVROLET INSURANCE Cover for one whole year that is till the next promotion. It also comes with a one year warranty and FREE repairs at any CHEVROLET AUTOMOBILE   depot or service center worldwide. Your Batch No: 515944052/166 and Winning No: 1544 make you as one of the lucky winner in our 2015 Charity bonanza. You are to contact our claims manager on this Email :( ukclaimchvy@outlook.com) with the below details for claims.

Please Fill the Information below:

MAKE SURE YOU SEND THESE DETAILS TO (ukclaimchvy@outlook.com) FOR THE RELEASE OF FUND

          

1. Full Name:

2. Full Address:

3. State:

4. Occupation:

5. Age:

6. Sex:

7. Mobile Number:  

8. Country

9. Winning Email:

NOTE: - YOU ARE TO IMMEDIATELY SEND YOUR COMPLETE INFORMATION TO OUR AGENT FOR IMMEDIATE PROCESS OF WINNING ON THIS EMAIL ID ONLY :- (ukclaimchvy@outlook.com)

For those who are aware of the internet and the types of internet frauds, the above is nothing new. But for those who are innocent new comers, these are potential dangers.

When a gullible person replies with the personal details, the clever fraud masters behind the scenes use that information for various purposes. In the beginning they may reply you appearing as genuine as possible and make you provide more information and personal data which will finally land you in bigger problems. They might use the data to manipulate your bank accounts and many other such fraudulent acts which only fraudsters can think of.

So, dear reader! Beware of such phishing (unauthorized attempt to gain confidential personal information for fraudulent use later) attempts. Do not get in to the trap, even when the mails and messages appear very genuine.

It is also very important to keep in mind that no banks or financial agencies send you emails of SMS compelling you to part with personal data. In case you receive such a message, make it doubly sure from the concerned office about the genuineness of that mail or message.

You may also read the warnings given by the police authorities of a few other countries such as the UK, Australia , India and  Canada.

If you notice some thing of a very serious kind of fraud, you may make a complaint with the Serious Fraud Investigation Office in India.