SECURITY ALERT: New "secret shppper" email scams reported
CSIT has received reports this morning of a widely distributed email scam. The scam is similar in many respects to others about which we have previously warned, but because of the number of reports we are repeating our security alert.
The instances of the email scam appear to come from valid SM论坛 email accounts and has the Subject 鈥淧art-Time/Job Opportunity!!!鈥. The body of the messages present as recruiting applicants for a job, promising up to $300 per week without interfering with any other employment or studies. The messages offer a URL to follow for those interested in applying for the job. The URL, if followed, will take the recipient to a site which collects their contact information. The message ends with a signature suggesting that it comes from an office of SM论坛, specifically claiming to originate from 鈥淛ob Placement & Student Services.鈥
THIS IS A SCAM. The originating SM论坛 accounts 鈥 while valid 鈥 have been compromised. There is no SM论坛 office called 鈥淛ob Placement & Student Services.鈥 The purpose of the scam is to engage the recipient, develop trust. Ultimately, the scammer(s) will provide the victim with some type of purchase request along with 鈥減ayment,鈥 often in the form of a cheque. The victim is tricked into transmitting something of value to the scammer 鈥 typically gift cards 鈥 under the impression that the cost of the purchase is covered by the 鈥減ayment鈥 they received. They ultimately discover that the cheque is of no value.
We are working now to re-secure the compromised accounts used to distribute these scams and to remove instances of these scams from SM论坛 mailboxes. Please, if you have received the message describe above, delete it and do not engage. Similar messages with slight variations of sender, text and target URL may well follow; such scams tend to come is waves. As always, please use extreme caution in handling your incoming email, regardless the source, and particular messages offering opportunities for easy money with little or no effort. 鈥淭oo good to be true鈥 is usually just that!