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We have received some
reports that some people have received e-mails that appear to be from
Keen i Photo with attachments and statements that indicate termination
of an account or misuse of their account. We want you to know that
these are not legitimate e-mails but are being generated by malicious
individuals seeking to mislead you for their own purposes. This is
unfortunately not unique to Keen i Photo but has become a common
diversion tactic that has affected international banks and many online
businesses. This technique is call "phishing" and spoofing (where
e-mails appear to come from a legitimate e-mail address but are
actually from someone else).
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Phishing is the
act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an
established legitimate company or bank in an attempt to scam the user
into surrendering private information that will be used for identity
theft. The fraudulent (spoof) e-mail directs the user to visit a
website where they are asked to update personal information, such as
passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers,
that the legitimate organization already has.
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Ways to
Recognize Fake (Spoof) E-mails |
Generic greetings. Most fake
emails are typically not personalized, beginning with, for example,
"Dear KeeniPhoto". If your specific name does not appear, be
suspicious and do not click on any links in the email.
Fake sender's address. A
spoof email may include a forged email address in the "From" field.
This field can easily be altered. The e-mails will appear
to be legitimately from Keen i Photo.
False sense of urgency. Many
spoof emails try to deceive you with the threat that your account is
in jeopardy if you don't update it as soon as possible. They may also
state that an unauthorized transaction has recently occurred on your
account, or claim that Keen i Photo is updating its accounts and needs
information fast.
Confidential information
requested. Keen i Photo will never ask for the any of the
following via email:
o Credit or debit card numbers
o Bank account numbers
o Social Security numbers
o Driver's License numbers
o Email addresses
o Passwords
Fake links. Always check
where a link is going before you click. Move your mouse over it and
look at the URL in your browser or email status bar. Fraudulent links
are dangerous. If you click on one, it could direct you to a fake
website that tries to collect your personal data or install spyware on
your system that can monitor your actions and steal passwords or
credit card numbers.
Emails that appear to be websites.
Some emails will look like a website in order to get you to enter
personal information. Keen i Photo never asks for personal information
in an email.
Bad grammar and
misspellings. Spoof emails often contain
misspellings and/or incorrect grammar.
Attachments.
Keen i Photo will never email you an attachment or a software update
to install on your computer. Never click on an attachment as it could
cause you to download spyware or a virus.
These schemes are meant to mislead you and
cause havoc with your data and your computer. Using discretion and
care is critical in avoiding these malicious attacks. Keen i Photo
neither assumes or accepts any responsibility for the malicious acts
of others misrepresenting themselves as being authorised by Keen i
Photo. Please be careful.
LEARN MORE:
United States Federal Trade Commission
Computerworld Article
Microsoft: Help prevent identify theft from phishing scams
Better Business Bureau - Phishing Phacts
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