HSBC Clients Targeted with Phishing Scam

A spam mail designed for phishing admonishes clients of HSBC Bank, the United Kingdom-situated banking conglomerate that they can't access their account as it has been deactivated following a 3-time wrong entry of their online banking password by somebody unidentified. Softpedia.com published this dated April 12, 2012.

Specifically, according to the fake electronic mail, somebody attempted at accessing the e-mail recipient's banking account but couldn't succeed in reaching it; still, to safeguard him, his account has been suspended.

Beginning with the header, "New e-mail message: [11 April 2012]," the phishing electronic mail tells the reader that his 'Internet Banking Password' had been wrongly submitted thrice. To safeguard his account, the Bank has disabled it so the user can't access it. However, access can be restored via proper logging in of the credentials, the message adds.

Regrettably, the web-link provided in the e-mail leads the recipient onto a phishing website that closely resembles the actual web-page of online banking login wherein the user is directed for entering his name, birth date, social security number, username and password, account number, sort code along with ATM PIN detail so his identity is substantiated.

And once the above details are entered, phishers can harvest them for personal benefit like acquiring admission into the Bank accounts of the victims, and conducting fake transfers or transactions through them. Actually, when the victim opts for "Continue" on the ultimate bogus Internet form where he entered the details, he's diverted onto the real HSBC site which thus prevents him from noticing the hijacking of his account.

Security specialists state that it isn't new to have bank customers getting targeted with phishing e-mails, more so HSBC clients. As a matter of fact, phishing scams of these types are extremely frequent from cyber-criminals.

Meanwhile, it's extremely lucid that HSBC didn't send the e-mail; however for safety, specialists urge users to remain vigilant about any e-mail posing as a communication his bank like HSBC Bank sent, which asserts they require viewing an attachment or clicking certain web-link for providing his financial or other personal information. Users mustn't respond to the e-mail, the specialists advise.

Related article: HSBC Alerts Customers of Hoax E-Mail

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