Scam FedEx E-mail Targets Munger Lady

A woman from Munger, Lynne Wiita, lately, became the victim of a scam e-mail while it posed as a message from "Fed Express Services," thus published duluthnewstribune.com dated March 12, 2012.

Addressing as 'customer,' the fake electronic mail told Wiita that FedEx couldn't hand over the package she wanted delivered because it weighed beyond the permissible limit. Thus, she required collecting it in person via taking out a copy of the invoice given as an attachment, and referring it to the FedEx office. She must also go through the attached details carefully prior to getting the parcel, the e-mail stated, before signing off from 'FedEx Global Services.'

But just as Wiita, believing everything opened the attachment, her PC crashed effectively locking the system, she says. Duluthnewstribune.com published this.

Also, following the crash Wiita could merely switch on/off her PC that alerted of 38 viruses supposedly infecting the system. But then it presented malware-eliminating software for $109 to be charged to her credit card.

So, the message asked for her card number, but Wiita recognized the scam as also that FedEx hadn't dispatched the e-mail.

Incidentally, e-mails from FedEx will sign off as Fed Express rather than Fed Express Services and with no attachments whatsoever.

Meanwhile, when Wiita had her PC examined, the engineer confirmed there was malware on it. He suggested cleaning the infected machine's hard-drive so Wiita knew her pictures, music and all other important data would be lost. She's thinking about buying one fresh PC rather than repairing the damaged one.

Notably, security specialists recommend Internet-users that they mustn't open any zipped archive alternatively any .exe file within it. The virus in Wiita's computer, Win32:SmokeLoader_MP, attempts at inserting malware inside Dynamic Link Library (DLL) files of Windows-computers. It captures all software applications' passwords, including those of chat-programs and Web-browsers. Consequently, theft of banking information along with other login credentials for secure systems, occur, the specialists highlight.

Eventually, in one similar incident, during March 2011, another fake FedEx e-mail told recipients that they'd soon get their undelivered parcel at their residence, while the tracking code and additional information could be obtained from an attached document.

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» SPAMfighter News - 3/19/2012