This one targets small businesses and uses the BBB's name.
There's a phishing scam targeting small businesses, and using the good name of the Better Business Bureau. Businesses or individuals receive an e-mail, purportedly from the BBB which says a complaint has been filed against them. There's an attachment, and the recipient is urged to open it. When that happens, malware infects their computers.
"We never, ever send complaints as attachments," says Jody Thomas, Vice President of Communications for the BBB of Greater Maryland.
"Unfortunately, this is the fifth wave of e-mail phishing--with a p-h--that have been using the BBB name since Thanksgiving," she says.
Thomas says there are some signs to watch out for that proves these e-mail are scams. "Generally, with a lot of these, there will be misspellings, with grammar problems. It will look like it's urgent." If your business is a BBB Accredited Business, it will have a generic greeting, such as "Dear Sir," or "Dear Madam," instead of your name.
If you receive this type of e-mail, do not click on any attachments, and be wary of instructions which say "Click on the link or your account will be closed."
Thomas also says delete any of these e-mails from your computer. You can also forward it the BBB. "And we have professional investigators that are looking into this nationwide. We're also working with law enforcement agencies on this targeting," she says. That forwarding address is phishing@council.bbb.org.
The BBB says this unfortunate incident happened to an Accredited BBB Business and BBB Board member in Northeast Louisiana. When the e-mail was received, the attachment was opened, and malware was released to infect their computers. The company had to wipe its computers clean to get rid of the malware.
