iTunes accountholders victimized in PayPal phishing attack

According to Torontosun.com, which published its news on August 24, 2010, an alleged phishing assault, wherein unwary end-users are tricked into surrendering personal information on fake websites, has defrauded PayPal customers off huge amounts of dollars across the globe.

Understandably, fake websites, designed for phishing, function via dispatching an e-mail intended for victims who are directed to validate personal credit card or login details. Moreover, the phishing messages contain web-links, which recipients are encouraged towards opening. But that doesn't lead them onto authentic service or banking sites. Rather, they land on fraudulent websites that look nearly identical.

Further, phishing websites, in the majority of cases, copy government or bank websites so that victims can be convinced into giving away their financial and other private details. These details are subsequently exploited for wiping out financial accounts.

The new phishing campaign has lured innumerable end-users into giving away personal login details related to their PayPal accounts.

Reportedly, a lot of consumers save their PayPal or credit card account details in personal iTunes accounts. Consequently, all that they've to do is enter a username and password and their transaction for a good bought is accomplished. When these details are entered, the charges for the good automatically get debited to the consumer's PayPal/credit card account. In case end-users miss reviewing their billing status routinely, it can let hackers fraudulently accumulate large sums of charges on iTunes prior to those users even knowing their accounts are hijacked.

Scams of this type have been ongoing during recent weeks so people have been accusing PayPal or Apple since a lot of iTunes accounts from those hijacked had a connection with PayPal accounts.

However, the hackers hadn't infiltrated Apple's servers for obtaining the login credentials. PCWorld reported on August 24, 2010 that according to Apple's sources, there hadn't been any hijacking of iTunes account and that no unexpected rise in fake deals was evident.

Thus experts recommend consumers that in case there has been theft of their iTunes/credit card login credentials for unauthorized transactions, they must approach their financial institutions for remedial action, while also reset their iTunes account password instantly.

» SPAMfighter News - 8/30/2010