Scam-Emails.com
Where Moogu's come to LEARN!
Contents - List of Scams by Type and by profession.

 

 

Analysis of this letter             
How to avoid this scam
RATING: This scammer is good and this scam will catch people. IF you believe you have been caught log into your account immediately and change the password and go directly to the bank and let the bank manager know.

Genuine Point Bank Logo was here!
I received 3 letters from this bank in one day. Sure sign of a problem.. BEWARE Point Bank Customers..

                     

 You have one new message at PointBank.

INBOX (1)

From:     Customer Service Alert.
Date:      01/02/2008
Subject: Account Suspended.

In order to read the message click here to login at   (Editors Note: Place your cursor, the pointy thing over the link.. you will see the link and where it goes.. this link does NOT go to the bank.)
PointBank and access your MAIL section.

Copyright © 2008, PointBank. All rights reserved.

MTYCIZKTRRRRSCSQEWBJJKZLGNUPIHBWEUZXPB

How do I know this is a scam?
I do not have an account at Point Bank!
This email is one of Millions that go out that target emails in a region and the banks in that region.
If you click on the "Click Here" you will get a page that looks just like that of Point Bank.. but the address if you put your cursor on the "click here" will go to mail.arrow-com.net which is NOT affiliated with the bank. You would then enter your normal bank information and password and someone out there would have access to your bank account. They could send out bogus checks and drain the account, get your Social Security number possibly, though that may not be ON the information the bank has on you.. on their website. Still this allows them to get more info on how to steal your identity or to transfer funds to themselves OUT of the country. 
This particular email is fairly clever. It makes it appear that the bank is sending you a normal message as they would to alert you to bank issues.. but the KEY HERE is to look at the Click Here address and the subsequent address in your toolbar. IF your bank address does not appear.. it ain't YOUR bank.
 
     
  How do I avoid making this mistake?
VERY SIMPLE.. never EVER simply click on a link for your bank. MOST banks if not all including Paypal will tell you that they do not include links in their emails. Type the email into the browser bar yourself. Beyond that when you visit a site look at the Browser Bar and make sure that the address matches that of your bank, but look C-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y they may have the name of the bank somewhere IN the address to fool you. Look at the first few letters..  http://www. this area is the address. com
If the address area does not include the EXACT domain name then it is a phony.. It may include what is called a subdomain.. which is valid.. for example.. I will use a fictitious bank name.. Jimsbankandtrust.com
If you are on Jim's Bank and Trust you might see this  http://www.signon.jimsbankandtrust.com that is most likely legitimate and part of the bank.. jimsbankandtrust.com is what HAS to be before the .com or the .net or .org for the address to go to that website.
If for instance you get this.. http://www.signon.abcvideononsense.com/jimsbankandtrust.html
You are not at Jim's Bank and Trust you are at ABC Video Nonsense.. Or any other name of a website you could imagine.. Also watch that the domain ending.. the Dot Com, Net, or Org is not something else like a country domain.. YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR BANKS ADDRESS .. and any deviation may be an attempt by someone to Phish you. Watch for single letter changes or dyslexic like changes of letters that are meant to LOOK like the real address.
In the end... the absolute safest way to check your account is to type the domain in yourself and then save it to favorites if it is a difficult name.. BE CAREFUL to check the address each time. I imagine it is possible to get a Browser Tool Bar Virus that could kidnap your information.. but if that happens you already have bigger problems.
If you get a notice from your bank, most likely it will ask you to check your messages on your account. All correspondence from your bank will be ON your account, as it will with Paypal.com. Should you get a notice of a charge, or a hold on your account, do NOT click on the link on the notice. Go directly to your  bank account and check it. You will most likely find that there is no hold, charge and no message from the bank. By not sending you email about your account banks make it possible for you to KNOW that an email with a link in it is a scam. "IF IN DOUBT, go directly to your Account.. "