Better Business Bureau (BBB) has recently been the target of a malicious phishing email scam. The email appears to be from a bbb.org email address regarding a recently filed complaint.
The email may then direct businesses or consumers to download an attachment or click a link, which redirects to a malicious website. BBB is trying to raise awareness of this email scam and is reminding businesses that they do not send complaints as attachments via email.
Atlanta station WSB-TV interviewed Atlanta BBB Vice President Mike Boynton about the possible risks associated with the scam. Boynton said the worst-case scenario is that hackers could be targeting businesses’ financial records, client lists or payment information.1
If you receive this kind of email, be sure to disregard the message, report any information to the BBB’s Scam Portal and then delete it. If you have already clicked on the link, run a virus scan immediately.
Unfortunately, scams like this are becoming increasingly common. Many scams start with email, so you should be wary of anything that shows up in your inbox and never click on links from an unknown source. Most importantly: if you ever receive an email requesting your private information, call the company before putting any personal information in an email.
* * *
Primerica is an accredited member of the BBB. The BBB system is dedicated to fostering trust between businesses and consumers in both the traditional and online marketplace. The BBB system is comprised of 130 local Better Business Bureaus (BBBs) across the U.S. and Canada, and serves millions of consumers, nearly 400,000 small and medium business members, and several hundred national and multi-national corporations based in North America.
1. WSBTV.com, viewed December 9, 2011