Phishing Scam Targeted FairPoint E-mail Customers

FairPoint Communications Inc. located in North Carolina (US) announced on February 6, 2009 that it had come to know of a potential consumer scam that linked to the transition process of the company. More simply, the corporation is in the grip of an e-mail phishing scam.

As per the reports, customers having e-mail accounts of Verizon were supposed to be transferred to the accounts of FairPoint starting from February 7, 2009. However, at the time of the transfer, many e-mail accounts of users failed to get established.

Thus, to handle the additional workload, the customer service division of FairPoint hired workers to assist customers in resolving the problem.

In the meantime, taking advantage of the emerging technical problem, an e-mail phishing scam erupted that started to attack the frustrated customers of the company.

Online fraudsters, possibly phishers, pretending to be FairPoint representatives began communicating with FairPoint customers through e-mails and asked them to provide their passwords so that they could be helped.

The fake e-mail dispatched to FairPoint users said FairPoint is at that moment conducting its scheduled upgrade and maintenance process of its Web mail service; thus, it had to change its e-mail client that required the resetting of the customer's (recipient's) password.

While the e-mail apologized for any inconvenience caused due to changing of client, it also warned the customer that he must answer immediately within 48 hours along with his latest password, failing which his e-mail account would be erased from FairPoint database.

Investigators of the incident stated that the e-mail reflected "FAIRPOINT SUPPORT TEAM," as its signatory.

Meanwhile, as FairPoint carries on with its investigations, the company is urging its consumers to ignore hoax e-mails and not reply to them. The company is also reiterating that it would never ask its consumers for their passwords through e-mail.

It is further alerting customers caught in the malicious scam to immediately contact the company and inform it about their case so that the company's help-desk can assist the affected customers in creating a fresh account as well as in ensuring the security of their privacy.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 2/23/2009