Phishing E-mails Targeted BELD & LIME Customers

The Braintree Electric Light Department (BELD) of Massachusetts, US, is warning computer users to overlook a malicious spam mail targeting the company's customers.

The fraudulent message that apparently comes from pc.hosford@cogeco.ca represents the Webmail Admin of BELD.net. The content of the fake or phishing e-mail says that BELD, which is upgrading its e-mail center and database, is eliminating all defunct BELD.NET Webmail accounts so that more space could be created for fresh accounts and the overall storage space may be increased.

It then says that users who are interested to maintain their accounts on the BELD Webmail must furnish personal information such as their name, date-of-birth and account username and password to BELD. The message also warns that if users fail to follow the given instructions, their accounts on BELD Webmail would be temporarily suspended.

The message further tells the recipients that the current upgrading is part of a security procedure to protect users as well as their mailboxes. In addition, it states that BELD apologizes for any problem that the users of BELD Webmail might encounter due to the upgrading and concludes by offering thanks to the recipients for cooperation.

Consequently, BELD Help Desk officials advise users to avoid opening or replying to the e-mails arriving with the aforementioned text.

While the BELD phishing scam is making rounds on the Internet, another similar scam is reported that aims at the consumers of Landline Internet Mobile Entertainment (LIME) of Cayman Islands (UK). Therefore, LIME is cautioning its consumers to beware of e-mail messages arriving from help@candw.ky with the subject line saying "Dear Candw.ky User". And just as with the BELD e-mail, the LIME e-mail too offers regrets for any inconvenience caused to its consumers.

Meanwhile, security specialists stated that sending fraudulent e-mails from lawful Webmails such as LIME and BELD represents conventional phishing employed by the phishers. On getting such e-mails end-users feel so impressed that they respond immediately without thinking twice; as a result, they lose personal information such as usernames and passwords in the current phishing incident.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 3/9/2009