I just got a email notice from Citibank, asking me to verify information about my account, information that I was to provide, such as passwords, numbers, credit card numbers, expiration date, etc. The email's subject line reads, "official Notice for all users of Citibank [Thu.22 July 2004 1.26.28 +0100]".

Not having a citibank account, I notified Citibank, who was aware of the scam. I hope all 'Pudlians are smart enough not to fall for this one.

Great post Dorian!

Sometimes even smart people can fall for this scam. The spoof site "mirrors" the real site and the headers actually have the exact address. ( I was scammed by ebay before) These sites will tell you not to give personal information-- then ask you for it. They do look so real that it is easy to be fooled if you don't know.

I received the Citibank email and reported it. There is a warning on the Citibank site:

quote:

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Every Internet user should know about spoof (a.k.a. phishing or hoax) e-mails that appear to be from a well-known company but can put you at risk.
Although they can be difficult to spot, they generally ask you to click a link back to a spoof web site and provide, update or confirm sensitive personal information. To bait you, they may allude to an urgent or threatening condition concerning your account.
Even if you don't provide what they ask for, simply clicking the link could subject you to background installations of key logging software or viruses.

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These are some examples of the email subjects these scammers are using to lure people in:

• Account inspection 07/16/04
• FRAUD ALERT 07/13/04
• Activate BillPay 07/12/04
• There Are Better Ways 07/09/04
• HOT CITI BANK CONTEST 07/08/04
• Citibank: Confirm your account informations 06/18/04
• CitiBank Customer Service - Verification Required 06/15/04
• Protect your citibank account 06/14/04
• Final Notice 06/14/04
• Protect yourself from Internet fraud 06/13/04
• Critical Changes to Citibank Online Account Access 06/09/04
• Citibank PIN Update Required 06/09/04
• Citibank Account Protection 06/08/04
• Citibank Account Alert! 06/07/04
• Activate Bill Pay 06/07/04
• Online banking issue 06/07/04
• Apply now and get 75$ 06/03/04
• Final Notice 06/03/04
• your Citibank account 06/01/04
• Update your credit/debit card 06/01/04
• A Welcome to Citibank Online 06/01/04
• CITI Bank Alert - Unauthorized Login Attempts 05/25/04
• Welcome to Citibank Online 05/24/04
• CitiCard Suspicious Account Activity 05/24/04
• Citibank 05/19/04
• Activate Bill Pay 05/17/04
• welcome citibank online banking 05/16/04
• Security Update 05/13/04
• Your account with us 05/12/04
• Credit/Debit card update 05/24/04
• Welcome citibank online account 05/10/04
• Citibank Alert for: John Q Public 05/07/04
• ! To all Citibank users 05/06/04

WHAT THEY ARE AFTER

SIGNS OF SPOOF EMAIL

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you suspect that you've received a fraudulent e-mail, please forward it immediately to: emailspoof@citigroup.com

Note: Don't change or retype the subject line—this inhibits our ability to properly investigate it. After forwarding the e-mail, you should delete if from your inbox.

You may also want to forward it to the Federal Trade Commission at: uce@ftc.gov

or contact them at:
www.consumer.gov/idtheft
1-877-IDTHEFT