"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam

The fake American Express email message below, which appears to be a security report alert that claims the recipients should secure their accounts by validating and updating them, is just one of the many phishing scams created by cybercriminals to trick American Express customers into clicking on the link within it. The link goes to a phishing website (a fake American Express website) that steals online account credentials when visitors attempt to sign into it.

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American Express Security Report Notification Phishing Scam

American Express cardholders are asked never to click on a link in an email message to access to their accounts. They should instead, go directly to American Express website (www.americanexpress.com) and sign into their accounts from there. If there is something wrong or there is something that they need to with their accounts or cards, they will be notified after signing in.

The "American Express Security Report Notification" Scam

Subject: Re: A recent security concern requires your attention

Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2018, 11:04 AM

From: American Express <AmericanExpress@aexpmail.com> wrote:

CardMember Alert

American Express logo

In regards to Primary Cardmember

Cards

Travels

Business

We are writing to let you know that there is a recent security report for your American Express(R) Account(s) . At time of report diligency, We ran into problem validating your profile.

In view of this, Cardmember information needs to be updated and your mandatory effort is required.

WHAT IS REQUIRED

To proceed, An attached HTML Fillable Web Form is sent with this message.

- See Attached Information Form, Download and Open to Continue.

- Finish steps by filling out the Form.

Thank you for your Card Membership.

American Express Customer Care

Privacy Statement

Update Your Email

Message information is included above to help you recognize this as a customer care e-mail from American Express. We kindly ask you not to reply to this e-mail directly as messages are being sent from an unmonitored e-mail address.

© 2018 American Express. All rights reserved.

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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Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 32)

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. We will use your IP address to display your approximate location to other users when you make a post. That location is not enough to find you.

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February 26, 2019 at 1:51 PM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Phoenix, Arizona, United States

getting multiple msg with American Express that my card suspended, this is funny because we don't have AMX. Dated 2/26/2019

Delete

March 2, 2019 at 2:40 PM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Windham, Maine, United States

This has just started happening to us as well and we do not have an Amex account. I just deleted the messages without clicking on the link.

Delete

September 7, 2018 at 6:23 PM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Gillette, Wyoming, United States

The wording, capitalization, and punctuation should alert any AMEX card holder, but of course we're all in a hurry these days and might miss the errors.

The phish I got was so ludicrously amateur (and obviously not from a native English speaker) that it gave me more laughter than concern. I hope others are quick to spot it, or simply know better.

Delete

August 24, 2018 at 12:37 PM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Hereford, England, United Kingdom

Scam still going around:-

"This is to inform you on a timely security report for your Card. At the time of scoring the report, Problems were encountered validating Cardmember profile .

Essentially, Cardmember informations need to be requested and your effort is required.

PLEASE-TAKE-A-MOMENT

See attached for Fillable HTML Web Form

o - Download to Open WebForm.

- Finish steps by filling out the Form.

Thank you for your Card Membership.

American Express Customer Care"

Delete

August 8, 2018 at 10:43 PM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Kansas City, Kansas, United States

Received this email on August 8th - it's still making the rounds.

"This is to inform you on a timely security report for your American Express(R) Card.

At time of report analysis, We ran into problem validating your profile.

In view of this, Cardmember informations need to be requested and your mandatory effort is required.

WHAT IS REQUIRED

To proceed, An attached HTML Fillable Web Form is sent along this message.

o - See Attached Information Form, Download and Open to Continue.

- Finish steps by filling out the Form.

Thank you for your Card Membership.

American Express Customer Care

Privacy Statement | Update Your Email

Message information is included above to help you recognize this as a customer care e-mail from American Express. We kindly ask you not to reply to this e-mail directly as messages are being sent from an unmonitored e-mail address.

© 2018 American Express. All rights reserved.

GNAENILNECA10600"

Delete

July 18, 2018 at 11:29 PM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: New York, United States

Received this email today, July 18th. Looked suspicious and I don't have an American Express account so it is even more suspicious. Thanks for posting this update so I could confirm my gut reaction.

Delete

July 17, 2018 at 1:44 PM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Flushing, New York, United States

I received this message on July 17, 2018. It was intercepted by my email application which placed it in my Junk folder. As is usually the case with trash messages like this one, it is rife with syntactical and punctuation errors, typically a dead giveaway that the message is bogus.

Delete

July 13, 2018 at 9:29 AM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: San Diego, California, United States

I just received this message today, July 13, 2018 but did not open any attachment. Seemed strange and there was no logo attached.

Delete

July 8, 2018 at 4:59 PM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
an anonymous user from: Tumwater, Washington, United States

I got what I BELIEVE to be a "phishing letter" but it concerns me because I have been fighting identity theft (victim) since No. 2016 and one of the cards she tried to open in my name was American Express.

I have NEVER had this card and I'm worried she might be trying again.

Sincerely,

Georgia.

Delete

June 5, 2018 at 5:35 AM by
"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam
info

Here is another scam:

- Original Message -

Subject: A recent security concern requires your attention

From: American Express <AmericanExpress@aep.com>

Sent: Monday, June 4, 2018, 11:14 AM

CardMember Alert

American Express logo

In regards to Primary Cardmember

We are writing to let you know that there is a recent security report for your American Express(R) Account(s) . At time of report diligency, We ran into problem validating your profile.

In view of this, Cardmember information needs to be updated and your mandatory effort is required.

WHAT IS REQUIRED

To proceed, An attached HTML Fillable Web Form is sent with this message.

- See Attached Information Form, Download and Open to Continue.

- Finish steps by filling out the Form.

Thank you for your Card Membership.

American Express Customer Care

Privacy Statement

Update Your Email

Message information is included above to help you recognize this as a customer care e-mail from American Express. We kindly ask you not to reply to this e-mail directly as messages are being sent from an unmonitored e-mail address.

© 2018 American Express. All rights reserved.

ALEENICNECA0130"

Delete

Write Your Comment, Question, Answer, or Review

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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).

"American Express Security Report Notification" Phishing Scam