Skype Subscribers Targeted with One Fresh Phishing Scam

A phishing e-mail campaign exploiting consumers of Skype is presently circulating online, while hitting their inboxes, published securitynewsdaily.com dated March 1, 2012.

Bearing a caption: "Your Skype account needs update," the fake electronic mail, addressing recipients with a "Hello," proceeds further.

It tells that the reader will be led onto several web-pages for identifying his verification since the chief concern of Skype pertains to safeguarding its subscribers' accounts. The e-mail then expresses regrets for any possible trouble the e-mail may've instigated.

Eventually, the e-mail directs the recipient for making access to his Skype page via following one given web-link that seemingly connects with www.skype.com the real site of Skype.

But, if followed, the web-link diverts the user, particularly if he uses Google's Chrome Web-browser, onto the 'login-skype-com-account.ug-copiers.com' page, which Google has labeled as a dubious, spoofed or phishing site.

Disturbingly, according to security researchers, it's because of the above kinds of phishing e-mail campaigns that phishing worldwide is increasing. This remark gets the backing of data, which Symantec the security company released during February 2012 in its Symantec Intelligence Report. That report states that during February 2012, there was a 0.01% rise in worldwide phishing incidences, making the worldwide mean of phishing as 1 spoofed e-mail in 358.1 messages.

Hence, for lessening the possibilities of such scam messages victimizing e-mail users, specialists emphasize a few security suggestions. These are: incase an Internet user receives an e-mail, which seems like a message from an authentic firm, similar as Skype in the current instance, asking him to follow a web-link for reaching a particular site, say, for making his security details up-to-date, he must rethink prior to taking the action. For, clicking the web-link may land him on a malicious website, such as the phishing site within the aforementioned instance, which would steal those details and subsequently aid in committing ID-theft. The safest is, however, to simply enter the URL address manually into a browser.

Moreover, Internauts must become alert if an e-mail makes a general greeting instead of using their names unlike within the electronic mail from Skype, which merely states "Hello Dear," for addressing the recipient.

Related article: Skype Plugs Critical Security Hole

» SPAMfighter News - 3/10/2012