Businesses and consumers
across the country have been hit by an on-going e-mail scam that appears to be
from Better Business Bureau. The phony e-mails started in November and have
changed forms a number of times.
One version of
the phony e-mails contains a subject line reading "BBB SBQ Form,"
followed by a series of numbers. Recipients are asked to click on a link to
update their information with Better Business Bureau. The link supposedly leads
to a form on bbb.org, but it really goes to a third-party Web site that
downloads a virus on the consumer’s computer.
BBB also warns that the original version of the e-mail scam is still out there. In this, recipients
are told that a complaint has been filed against their business and they need
to respond by clicking on a link in the e-mail. Again, the link takes them to a
third-party Web site that infects their computer with a virus.
Steps to take:
Should
you receive a suspicious e-mail, do not click on any links. You can test the
links by using your mouse to hover over them and viewing the destination link.
If the e-mail is a scam, the Web site shown will not be a bbb.org URL.
If you receive an e-mail, please forward it to phishing@council.bbb.org
and immediately delete it from your inbox. Also, make sure your virus software
on your computer is up-to-date.
For more
information, visit bbb.org.
