AT&T customers who have received email messages like the one below, which claim that a request to delete their email boxes permanently has been received, should delete them and not follow the instructions in them. This is because they are phishing scam being used to target AT&T customers. The phishing email messages also claim that if the recipients do not reconfirm their accounts they will be permanently deleted. But, this is just another trick being used by cyber criminals to trick AT&T customers into clicking on the link in it. The link in the email messages goes to a fake AT&T website that will ask visitors to sign-in. Once visitors attempt to sign into the fake website with their AT&T credentials, it will be sent to the cybercriminals behind the phishing scam.
The "AT&T Request to Delete your Email Box Permanently" Phishing Scam
From: AT&T <u5419142@anu.edu.au>
Date: July 13, 2017 at 4:19:15 PM EDT
Subject: Incoming Message On Hold
AT&T! Mail
Dear,
We recently received a request from you to delete your email box permanently. Please reconfirm your request by choosing either of the two options below but please note that if you fail to click on option 1 we have no other choice than to delete your email box.
1. Click Here to continue using our service (log in
your details).
2. Click Here to discontinue using our
service.
Yours Sincerely,
AT&T! Support
Automatic Response : Do-Not-Reply
Once the cybercriminals have received the stolen AT&T credentials, they will use it to hijack their potential victims’ accounts and use the accounts fraudulently. This is why AT&T customers should never click on links in email messages to sign into their accounts, they should instead, go directly to https://www.att.com/ and sign into their email accounts from there. If there is someone that needs to be done their accounts, they will be notified after signing in.
AT&T customers who have been tricked by the phishing scam are asked to contact AT&T for help.