'Phishing' scam hits North Okanagan

North Okanagan businesses are being warned about a scam which has surfaced in the area.

Kevin Rothwell, accreditation and communication specialist, says at least two Vernon businesses have received ‘phishing’ emails which claim to be from the Better Business Bureau.

“The BBB name continues to be used in various ‘phishing’ scams involving emails that appear to originate from the BBB. Some of the false email addresses include: @complaint.bbb.org [email protected] [email protected] or BBB OnLine [email protected],” says Rothwell.

"We are connected with other BBBs across North America, and we are working together with law enforcement to track down these criminals who are using our name," says BBB President and CEO, Lynda Pasacreta. "We ask for the public’s diligence in recognizing and reporting this type of suspicious activity to us."

The message, with some variations, begins:

Example 1:

This is an automated email that confirms the registration of your complaint case number: [CASE NUMBER] filed by your company on September 17/2007 concerning Online Identity Theft. While The Better Business Bureau Online does not resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint helps us investigate fraud, and can lead to law enforcement action.

Example 2:

This is an automated email that confirms the registration of your complaint case number: [CASE NUMBER] filed by [Customer name] on September 23/2007 against [your company name]. While the Better Business Bureau does not resolve individual consumer problems, this complaint helps us investigate fraud, and can lead to law enforcement action.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU RECEIVE A FRAUDULENT EMAIL:

Do NOT click on any of the links or open any of the attachments.
Forward the email and its headers to [email protected].
Rothwell says if you have received an email that is purportedly a complaint from the Better Business Bureau, it will have a BBB counselor’s name on it, if it is legitimate.

“Call your local BBB to verify the information before opening or deleting the message.”