CogBlog

About once a week now I get a message from a bank warning that my account settings need to be updated, or that my security has been compromised somehow. All I need to do is go log in, and set things straight. How helpful.

Only problem is that I usually don't have an account at the bank in question.

It is really some guy in Romania who would just love to get his hands on my username and password. The name for this kind of scam is one of those words that everyone loves to say right now: pfishing.

Anyway, I've been impressed with the improvements in design quality lately. These messages used to be easy to spot:

"hello, if you plaese enter password at site here. Custom Service".

Uh, no.

But now they will often use the bank's own template for the email, even leaving the links to the images hosted by the bank. It all looks very legit. Here is one I received today:



Look, they are letting me know that someone from Eastern Europe is trying to steal my money. The IRONY!

This doesn't look bad. They might investigate the US convention for typing dates though. And, their call to action needs some work. "perform the steps necessary"?

So, what happens if you click that link? You go to...WOW, they are going for a homerun here. They want my whole life!



Oooh, that one is really going to hurt. Drivers license, Mother's maiden name, PIN number??

I fear for my GrandMother every time I see one of these messages.