Branch Banking and Trust(BB&T) customers are asked to be aware of phishing email messages like the one below, which appear as an online banking alert notification. The phishing email messages claim that Branch Banking and Trust has encountered errors in the recipients' regular verification process. The phishing email messages then claim that the recipients need to click on a link to restore their accounts. But, the link will only take the recipients who have clicked on it, to a phishing website, looking like Branch Banking and Trust’s website, where they will be asked to sign-in with their account credentials. Once the victims enter their account credentials on the fake website, it will be sent to the cybercriminals behind the scam, who will use it to gain access to their victims’ accounts, where they will steal the victims’ money and use their accounts fraudulently.
A Sample of the Phishing Branch Banking(BB&T) and Trust Email Message
From: BB&T Online <lnformation@e-mail.com>
Sent: Sun, Jul 2, 2017 10:51 pm
Subject: Online Banking Alert Notification
Dear Client,
alert you that your bank account is in danger.
You are receiving this message due to errors encountered in our regular verification process of Online Banking records,
This might be due to one of the following reasons:
Several failed attempts to access your account, Accessing of your account from a different device, or your information has been changed or incomplete.
To restore your account, please Sign in to Online Banking
Your account will work as normal after the verification processed.
Thank you,
Branch Banking and Trust Company is a Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.
© 2017, Branch Banking and Trust Company. All Rights Reserved.
It is important for Internet users to remember that they should never click on a link to sign into their online accounts, especially links in email messages. The safest way to sign into their online accounts is to go directly to their online account providers’ websites, by typing the addresses of the websites in their web browsers or using a popular search engine to find the websites.
For example:
BB&T’s customers should go directly to “https://www.bbt.com/” in their web browsers or search for “Branch Banking and Trust” using a popular search engine. And, if there is something wrong with their accounts or there is something that they need to do, they will be notified right after signing in.
Recipients of the phishing BB&T email, who have clicked on the link and have attempted to sign into the phishing website with their accounts’ credentials, should change their passwords and contact Branch Banking and Trust immediately.