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Phishing scam uses fake airline ticket as bait
A new email phishing scam seeks to plant malicious software on the computers of recipients who open an attachment purportedly related to the purchase of an airline ticket. The fake emails use the names of various U.S. airlines—Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, US Airways, Allegiant Air, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Midwest Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines—and urge recipients to confirm a ticket purchase they never ordered.
The email thanks recipients for buying the tickets using the “Buy flight ticket online” service offered by the airline. Giving fake details of the purchased ticket, it asks them to confirm the purchase by printing the invoice and the ticket after clicking on an attachment in the mail.
However, when unsuspecting recipients click on the email, a malicious software program downloads onto their computers. This malware enables the fraudsters to gain confidential information such as credit card access codes, Social Security numbers, and online banking passwords by allowing them remote access to the computers.
Airlines say there are a couple of things inside the mail that should warn people of the scam. The emails contain mistakes in spelling and grammar, and the formats in which the itineraries are presented are different than those used by the airlines.
Sample of this type of fraudulent email:
Dear Valued Customer
Thank you for using our new service ‘Buy airplane ticket Online” on our website.
Your account has been created:
Your login: 1mooreDacu,com
Your password: PASS8QBEYour credit card has been charged for $424.85.
We would like to remind you that whenever you order tickets on our website you get a discount of 10%!
Attached to this message is the purchase Invoice and the airplane ticket.
To use your ticket, simply print it on a color printed, and you are set to take off for the journey!
Kind regards,
Hawaiian Airlines
What you can do to protect yourself
Be aware! These emails are NOT coming from the airline. If the format doesn’t look familiar to you, and you have not recently purchased a ticket, do not open the attachment. Delete the email right away.
Report suspicious emails to the government at www.IC3.gov.
We also suggest you sign up for our Fraud Prevent e-LERT, which will immediately advise you when we have added a new article or warning to the ‘Fraud Alert’ section of our website.
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