Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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You may have received an email like the one below that looks very authentic, like it came from DHL or Express Mail, or a phone call about the same subject. It is an attempt to get you to enter confidential information (typically a social security number, name, address, bank account information, etc., to allow the scammers to steal your identity and open credit cards in your name.
This email was not sent by DHL or Express Mail; DHL or Express Mail is a victim as well. This is referred to as spoofing (making a fake email that looks legitimate, "phishing" (when by email) or "vishing" (when by telephone). If you receive an email similar to the one below, DO NOT click on the link, and do not enter any information on the forms there.
The website that the link leads to is a spoof; a fake website, not created by DHL or Express Mail. It goes to http://www.wahmr.com/images/index.php?get_info=ss00_323, or other websites (they constantly hack and change destinations), not Express Mail Service - DHL Customer! When you enter the information they ask for, you will simply be handing the thieves the keys to your bank accounts. That is how spoofing, phishing and vishing works.
Remember, no reputable business would send you an email or a phone call requesting your personal account information. Any such email you receive asking for this information should be considered phony and brought to the attention of the business being 'phished'.
Anytime you need to go to a website for your bank, credit card companies or other personal, financial or confidential information; do not follow a link in an email; just type their address in your browser directly (such as www.DHL.com )
Below are actual phishing emails that started circulating in early 2008. We removed the links to the phisher's website, which is http://www.wahmr.com/images/index.php?get_info=ss00_323
It is possible that the owners of the website (http://www.wahmr.com/images/index.php?get_info=ss00_323) are not involved, and that their server has been hacked, but the fact remains that this is the address the scam goes to.
----- Forwarded message -----
From: Express Mail Service [mailto:support@universalpost.com]
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2013 10:13 AM
Subject: Shipping Info
Delivery information,
Your parcel can not be delivered by courier service.
Status:Postal code is not specified.
LOCATION OF YOUR ITEM:St.Louis
STATUS OF YOUR ITEM: not delivered
SERVICE: Local Pickup
NUMBER OF YOUR PARCEL:U588850982NU
INSURANCE: No
Print a label and show it at your post office.
An additional information
If the parcel is not received within 30 working days our company will have the right to claim compensation from you for it is keeping in the amount of $6.10 for each day of keeping of it.
You can find the information about the procedure and conditions of parcels keeping in the nearest office.
Thank you for attention.
DHL Customer.
Phishing is an attempt by an individual or group to solicit personal
information from unsuspecting users by employing social engineering techniques.
Phishing emails are crafted to appear as if they have been sent from a
legitimate organization or known individual. These emails often attempt to
entice users to click on a link that will take the user to a fraudulent website
that appears legitimate. The user then may be asked to provide personal
information such as account usernames and passwords that can further expose them
to future compromises. Additionally, these fraudulent websites may contain
malicious code.
The following documents and websites can help you learn more about phishing and how to protect yourself against phishing attacks.
* If the suspicious mail in question includes a file attachment, it is safer to simply highlight the message and forward it. Some configurations, especially in Windows environments, may allow the execution of arbitrary code upon opening and viewing a malicious email message.
For more information about phishing, see
this page.
For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.