Email Scam cons with claims of airline ticket purchase online
Photo by: Gualtiero
An Australian government website, SCAMwatch, is warning all email users to be wary of an email scam that claims they purchased an airline ticket online. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which owns and runs the website, has issued an alert after it received several complaints from net users, of the scam.
In a clever ploy, the bogus email informs users their credit card account has been debited by around $500 to pay for the purchase. The fraudsters figure this would cause anybody to get flustered and be intrigued enough, to start clicking hazardously.
The ticket and a receipt, served as attachments inside the email, lie in wait to take advantage of bewildered users in their moment of weakness. Clicking on these attachments trigger the download of malicious software that makes a note of all passwords plus other confidential information stored inside computers and transmits the same to the fraudsters.
It would be a thing of horror if the fraudsters are able to get hold of online banking passwords. In such a scenario, owners of bank accounts would only be able to stand and watch as the fraudsters strip their accounts off money.
Being well aware of its dangers, the ACCC urges users to handle the email gingerly and heed the following advice:
- Ignore the email and its contents.
- Do not click on any links inside the email.
- Do not attempt to click and read the attachments.
- Confirm with the airline, if you have doubts whether you made the purchase. Do not use phone numbers or other contact information about the airline in the email, for this purpose.
- Delete the email.
- Get your computer checked for any downloaded malware.
Those who wish to complaint can do so at the official ACCC website or call ACCC Infocentre at 1300 302 502.
Source: SCAMwatch.gov.au
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