Banks, credit-card issuers warn of email breach
By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer
NEW YORK – With the possible theft of millions of email addresses from an advertising company, several large companies have started warning customers to expect fraudulent emails that try to coax account login information from them.
Companies behind such brands as Chase, Citi and Best Buy said over the weekend that hackers may have learned their email addresses because of a security breach at a Dallas-based company called Epsilon that manages email communications.
The email addresses could be used to target spam. It's also a standard tactic among online fraudsters to send emails to random people, purporting to be from a large bank and asking them to login in at a site that looks like the bank's site. Instead, the fraudulent site captures their login information and uses it to access the real account.
The data breach could make these so-called "phishing" attacks more efficient, by allowing the fraudsters to target people who actually have an account with the bank.
Keep in mind, usually these banks keep any thefts very quiet so they reassure their clients and prospective clients so this must concern them a great deal.
Just so you know. Keep an eye out on your accounts and your email in-box.
Link to original story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110404/ap_on_hi_te/us_data_breach
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