"Westpac Bank Detected a Login Attempt from an Unrecognized Device" Phishing Email Scam

The Westpac bank phishing email message below, which claims that an attempt with a valid password was made from an unrecognized device, are being sent by cybercriminals to steal Westpac online users' login username and password. Therefore, Westpac customers who have received the same emails are asked not to follow the instructions in them, they should delete them instead.

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Westpac Bank Detected a Login Attempt from an Unrecognized Device Phishing Email Scam

The Westpac Bank Phishing Scam

Westpac [no-reply41356 @hlc1.westpac.com.au]


This is an automated message to notify you that we detected a login attempt with a valid password to your account from an unrecognized device yesterday @

Location: NICARAGUA, MANAGUA,IP=173.210.53.78 Latitude, Longitude: 42.26353, -75.2059 Connection through: TELEMATIX/ENITEL Local Time: 2013 08:29 PM (UTC -06:00) IDD Code: 505 Weather Station: MANAGUA (NUXX0004) Usage Type: ISP

Was this you? If so, you can disregard the rest of this email. If this wasn't you kindly follow the account review link:

http://login.westpac.com .au.ia-6804.serv-91. webhop.info/an/index .php?r=3965418253

Sincerely,
Westpac Bank Customer Care
2013 Westpac Financial Corporation. All Rights reserved
E-mail ID: 70409795

This email message claims that someone signed into the recipient's account from a particular location and the recipient should click the link within if they were not the one who signed in from that location. This is a trick to convince the recipient into clicking on the link, which will take him/her to a phishing or fake Westpac sign in or login page.

If the recipient enters his/her Westpac username and password on this bogus or fraudulent website, it will be sent to the scammers behind this fraudulent email message and website. With the recipient’s username and password, these scammers will be able to gain access to that person’s Westpac accounts.

For the link in the email address, if you look at it, you will notice that it ends with "login.westpac.com.au". Now, a lot of persons will look at this and think the link goes to the Westpac website located at http://westpac.com.au, but it does not. The link actually goes to the website "webhop.info".

What the scammers have done is to create subdomain names at the webhop.info website with the name "login.westpac.com.au". The subdomains are the names after the dots (".") in the website name, moving from the right to the left.

Here is an example:

If I create the subdomains "login.westpac.com.au" at onlinethreatalerts.com, this is how the website address would look:
http://login.westpac.com.au. onlinethreatalerts.com

Although the website has westpac.com in it, it does go there; instead, it will go to onlinethreatalerts.com. When looking at a domain or website name, always read it from right to left.

This type of subdomain creating is called "Domain Cloaking" and cybercriminals use this technique to trick persons into believing that they are on a legitimate website.

If you were tricked by this email message into clicking on the phishing link and have entered your Westpac username and password on the phishing web page, please change your Westpac password now or contact Westpac immediately.

Never click on a link to login or sign into any of your online accounts, instead, type the name of the website address into your web browser address bar. Once you are on the homepage of the website, you may navigate to the login or sign-in page.

Westpac bank says: "If you happen to get these emails in future did you know you can forward to hoax@westpac.com.au so our security team can investigate the origin and hopefully shut these fraudsters down."

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

"Westpac Bank Detected a Login Attempt from an Unrecognized Device" Phishing Email Scam