While the nineties and naughties fashions are making a resurgence in popular culture, Bendigo Bank alerts that vintage scamming techniques are also making an unwanted comeback.
With tax season on the horizon, the bank is cautioning customers against a growing trend of phishing scams that exploit the nostalgia wave.
“At this time of year, pre-tax time purchases are on the increase and email traffic peaks, so for criminals, the conditions are perfect for phishing,” said Jason Gordon (pictured above), head of customer protection at Bendigo Bank.
Phishing, a trick as old as the mid-90s, now features new twists, including sophisticated customisation and impersonation tactics. Scammers are employing seemingly outdated methods, such as HTML attachments, to evade spam filters and entrap their victims during peak activity periods.
A slew of recent scam reports to the bank has revealed emails containing malicious HTML attachments that mimic Bendigo Bank’s branding – a common tactic in impersonation scams.
“What’s new about these attacks is that they’re now using things like customisation, impersonation tactics and what are now viewed as uncommon file attachments, like HTML, to bypass spam filters and catch you in a time of peak activity,” Gordon said.
“Do not click the link or open files in these emails,” Gordon said. “It’s important to treat any link or attachment you are sent as suspicious.”
Gordon also said that the bank “will never send you a HTML file” and “will never ask you to log in to internet banking via a link sent in an email.”
For customers who suspect they've received a phishing email, the bank advises forwarding it to [email protected] for investigation.
If customers fear they may have fallen victim to such scams, they should immediately visit www.bendigoadelaide.com.au/security for support and to report the issue.
According to Gordon, “scammers will act quickly to transfer your funds.”
“Bendigo Bank attempts to recover funds lost to scams wherever possible, but it is extremely difficult to recover money that has been transferred to scammers,” he said.
The bank endorses following ScamWatch’s advice to stop scammers in their tracks: Stop, think, and protect. This involves being skeptical about unsolicited requests for money or personal information, double-checking messages or calls for authenticity, and acting swiftly if something feels amiss.
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