Scam Alert! Visa Security

January 29, 2004 - 1:10pm — bmann

I just received two email messages theoretically from Visa Service <security@visa-security.com>. Looking at the full headers, the return path is un5@aol.com and gd3u6@yahoo.com. Both of these were classified as junkmail by my Mail.app filter, but I can see how it might catch some people.

Read on if you want to see the quoted message.

Dear Sir/Madam,

We were informed that your credit card is used by another person or stolen. It could happen if you have been shopping on-line, and someone got your "Billing information" including your credit card number. To avoid and prevent any further fraud and billing mistakes and to refund your credit card, it is strongly recommended to proceed filling in the secure form on our site and applying for our Zero Liability program. Program is free and it will help us to confirm the fact of fraud and investigate this accident as soon as possible.

[ Continue… ]

Sincerely yours, Visa Support Assistant, Alwin Desagun.

The wording is a bit strange, especially the last sentence beginning "Program is free…".

Add new comment

Comments

March 11, 2004 - 11:19pm — Anonymous

I was wondering about this e-

I was wondering about this e-mail.... then I realized "wait a minute... I don't have a VISA... LoL... I have a MC"

March 11, 2004 - 6:39pm — Anonymous

Visa spammer

I ALSO clicked the "Continue" button just to see if an actual form came up. I had NO intention of filling out said form, but was suspicious when an error message came up saying no such website existed. Also the wording of the Visa Security spam message seemed a bit strange as did the name "Alwin Desagun" which echoes the rather badly made up names that come attached to a lot of spam. Anyway, since no website opened I don't see the point of an otherwise fairly clever/nasty bit of spam unless it is simply to verify your email address and bombard with more spam.
I dread the day when spammers fully grasp spellchecking and syntax.

March 11, 2004 - 3:28pm — Anonymous

Danger?

being the not so smart person that I am, i clicked the continue button before checking to see if this was a scam. is there any danger or steps i can take to protect myself?

March 11, 2004 - 4:54pm — bmann

As long as you didn't fill ou

As long as you didn't fill out/submit any of the info, you should be fine. However, since your email address has shown to be valid, you may find yourself receiving more spam.

March 11, 2004 - 9:53am — Anonymous

Visa - spam

well, I just had the same email - neither I have a VISA-Card (or another credit-card), nor am I placed in US. I´m from Germany and I really wonder why I get such a email...I also looked where it came from and the original return-path is umq@email.com
This spamming is really not funny anymore - alltough I´m just a normal person (not a company) I´m getting abot 75% of mails like this - Everyone who´s webmaster seems to be a good target for it...

March 11, 2004 - 9:42am — Anonymous

Visa

I just passed my credit card along to a friend at a restaurant to charge so he could borrow some money. When I saw this email I was suprised, thinking, "Wow they are really good, because I would never order $180 worth of pizza!"

Ha ha ha ha

March 11, 2004 - 11:26am — Anonymous

Visa scam

I just had the same message, Visa UK have been informed. Full message posted 17.23 gmt March 11th 2004

Dear Sir/Madam
We were informed that your card is used by another person or stolen.
It could happen if you have been shopping on-line, and someone got your "Billing information" including your card number.
To avoid and prevent any billing mistakes and to refund your credit card, it is strongly recommended to proceed filling in the
secure form on our site and applying for our Zero Liability program. This program is free and it will help us to investigate this accident

Sincerely yours, Visa Support Assistant, Alwin Desagun

March 11, 2004 - 9:20am — Anonymous

Email visa scam

Thanks for alerting me to this. I thought it looked a bit dodgy - and Google helped me out, plus you people who took the trouble to put this on the net. Thanks again. Miranda

March 10, 2004 - 7:42pm — Anonymous

me too

just got the same message. If I were an idiot like this guy, he would have succeeded at his scam. What a dumb-ass this guy is.

March 13, 2004 - 10:46am — Anonymous

Visa Scam

Working for the Internet department of a credit card company, you would be suprised at the number of e-mails we have forwarded by our customers.

On many occassions we are able to take the ISP into shutting down accounts where fraud has been attempted.

Please remember; VISA will never ever contact you. Your card provider will (if their fraud detection systems are any good!)

Take care and happy shopping!

March 10, 2004 - 7:28pm — Anonymous

Visa

Ive just had the same two messages,The e mail is obviousley false gd3u6@yahoo (VISA using yahoo! !hahah)

January 31, 2004 - 12:59pm — gfair

Spam & Spoof at eBay

This is what I will be dealing with on a daily basis at eBay - Spoof. Strange wording and mis-spelling is a tell-tale sign of a Spoof email.

If any of you ever get an eBay or PayPal (eBay's payment system, they now own PayPal and PayPal spoof is common) spoof email, I'd ask you to go to eBay's website and report it to customer support, asking them to pass it on to "Safe Harbor, Spam & Spoof queue" and it will get to my group so we can shut it down.

The unusual thing is, with most Spoof eBay emails, the return address is almost always the eBay support email address, so in fact these Spoof criminals are helping us to shut them down quickly.

February 2, 2004 - 8:12am — smithdm3@bmannc...