Phishing Scam Targets LAN Airlines for Credit Card Particulars

A new phishing scam is distributing bulk electronic mails supposedly from LAN Airlines pretending to be certain notice to the recipient that the Airlines couldn't keep his request for flight change as there's no credit card contract by it with the MasterCard Company, published softpedia.com dated March 19, 2012.

Here it maybe mentioned that LAN Airlines, which's a profitable business, essentially runs in South America. The dubious notices although presently targeting solely the Columbians can without difficulty target other people too during any time.

And though the fake electronic mail rejects the flight change, yet it states that the request can be approved if the user provides to the airline his VISA Credit Card Number, card-owner's name, card's expiry date and CVC and the user's own phone number and ID.

Meanwhile, sources indicate that some 183 people received the scam message out of which 8 dispatched the details of their payment card since they'd actually bought LAN's tickets, thereby making them regard the e-mail as genuine.

Moreover, since recent months, there've been several scams circulating online purportedly from American Airlines, suggesting that these tend to be extremely successful. For instance, the phishing attack, targeting Delta Airlines during November 2011 that involved plentiful true web-links towards enticing Internet-users into believing the otherwise fake e-mail, actually victimized many. (Indeed, when end-users believe the web-links as real, the remaining ids get dispatched to the scammers.) Furthermore, there wasn't any obvious typing error within the e-mail.

Likewise in another malicious campaign, the scam e-mail told the recipient that following his payment for a New York-destined flight ticket at $278, he required taking down the ticket online. Simultaneously, it offered him to complete a brief 5-question survey for $50.

But, security specialists recommend users that they must overlook the above kinds of e-mail requests as also notify the relevant firms about them. The LAN Airlines-related e-mails aren't real nor does the company think it used any personal info of its customers for generating the messages. Additionally, the specialists state that users mustn't view the attachments in these phishing e-mails since they may've malware capable of harming their PCs.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 3/23/2012