Several large companies’ customer lists were compromised over the weekend when hackers broke into their systems and got customer email lists. The Minneapolis Star Tribune explains what is likely to happen with the addresses…
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.
So be warned and be careful with your email over the next few weeks and months. If you aren’t expecting email from a vendor – be wary, Even be wary if you are. When in question, call your local business contact and ask them about any suspect emails. And remember never provide private information such as account information or social security numbers via email or on a web site when you are not 110 percent the web site is authentic.
Submitted by Minneapolis Real Estate Agent, Mary Rugani.
