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Phishing Examples

Included below are examples of Phishing scam email messages that have been received by SLIS email account holders recently.

These can be used as reference examples in order to become familiar with the general formatting and strategies used in Phishing scams.

By becoming familiar with the strategies employed in Phishing attacks, you are developing instincts that will help you quickly identify Phishing messages in the future.

Phishing Example Most Recent:

Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:24:16 +0700 (ICT)
From: Webmail Help Desk
Reply-To: tech.support@auto.lt <webmail@slis.sjsu.edu>
Subject: **Confirm Account Update**

This message was sent automatically by a program on Webmail which periodically checks the size of inboxes, where new messages are received. The program is run weekly to ensure no one's inbox grows too large. If your inbox becomes too large, you will be unable to receive new email. Just before this message was sent, you had 18 Megabytes (MB) or more of messages stored in your inbox on your Webmail To help us re-set your SPACE on our database prior to maintain your INBOX, you must reply to this e-mail and enter your:

Name: {........}
Password: {........ }

You will continue to receive this warning message periodically, if your inbox size continues to be between 18 and 20 MB. If your inbox size grows to 20 MB, then a program on Bates Webmail will move your oldest email to a folder in your home directory to ensure that you will continue to be able to receive incoming email. You will be notified by email that this has taken place. If your inbox grows to 25 MB, you will be unable to receive new email as it will be returned to the sender. After you read a message, it is best to REPLY and SAVE a copy.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Webmail Help Desk.

Phishing Example #1:

Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:06:14 +0400
From: San Jose State University Webmail Team <info@sjsu.edu>
Reply-To: webmanager66@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: SJSU.EDU SUPPORT UPDATE/MAINTAINANCE OF USER ACCOUNT

WARNING!!! Dear sjsu.edu e-mail owner,

This message is from San Jose State University Webmail Team messaging center to all sjsu.edu e-mail owners. We are currently upgrading our data base and e-mail center. We are deleting all unused sjsu.edu e-mail accounts to create space for new ones.

To prevent your account from closing you will have to update it below so that we will know its an existing

CONFIRM YOUR E-MAIL BELOW:
_______________________________

1. First Name & Last Name:
2. Full Login Email Address:
3. Username:
4. Password:
5. Retype Password:
_______________________________

Warning!!! E-mail owner who fails to update his or her e-mail within six days of receiving this warning will risk losing his or her e-mail account permanently.

Thank you for your understanding.
sjsu.edu Team sjsu.edu BETA.

Phishing Example #2:

Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:48:18 +0100 (CET)
From: Sjsu Abuse Team. <abuse@sjsu.edu>
Reply-To: d29cct@gmail.com
Subject: Important Sjsu Notice!

ATTENTION,

Sjsu has notice that your webmail account has been compromised by spammers by gaining access to your webmail account and have been using it for illegal internet activities. You are requested to provide your current login credentials to enable us reset your webmail account password immediately to aviod abuse of your account.

Current Username/ID:
Current Password:

You shall be contacted with a new password upon completion and you are advised to provide the above information or your account will be terminated by the abuse team.

Thank you for using Sjsu Webmail!
Sjsu Maintenance Team.

Phishing Example #3:

Subject: Account Expires in 6 Day(s)
From: "SJSU Help Desk" <warning@sjsu.edu>
Date: Sat, August 30, 2008 12:17 am
To:

Dear SJSU Webmail User,

This message was sent automatically by a program on SJSU Webmail which periodically checks the size of inboxes, where new messages are received. The program is run weekly to ensure no one's inbox grows too large. If your inbox becomes too large, you will be unable to receive new email. Just before this message was sent, you had 18 Megabytes (MB) or more of messages stored in your inbox on SJSU Webmail. To help us re-set your SPACE on our database prior to maintain our INBOX, you must reply to this e-mail and enter your Current User name ( ) and Password( ).

You will continue to receive this warning message periodically if your inbox size continues to be between 18 and 20 MB. If your inbox size grows to 20 MB, then a program on SJSU Webmail will move your oldest email to a folder in your home directory to ensure that you will continue to be able to receive incoming email. You will be notified by email that this has taken place. If your inbox grows to 25 MB, you will be unable to receive new email as it will be returned to the sender.

After you read a message, it is best to REPLY and SAVE it to another folder.

Thank you for your cooperation.
SJSU Help Desk
E-mail: warning@sjsu.edu

Phishing Example #4:

From update@slis.sjsu.edu Wed Aug 27 09:35:37 2008
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:31:35 -0000 (UTC)
From: Technical Support Team <update@slis.sjsu.edu>
Reply-To: update.webaccount@gmail.com
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
Subject: Update Your Slis.sjsu.edu Webmail Account..

Dear slis.sjsu.edu Email Account User,
We wrote to you on 28th April 2008 advising that you change the password on your account in order to prevent any unauthorised account access following the network instruction we previously communicated.

all Mailhub systems will undergo regularly scheduled maintenance. Access to your e-mail via the Webmail client will be unavailable for some time during this maintenance period. We are currently upgrading our data base and e-mail account center i.e homepage view. We shall be deleting old [https://slis.sjsu.edu/sqmail/src/login.php?secure_login=yes] email accounts which are no longer active to create more space for new accounts users. we have also investigated a system wide security audit to improve and enhance our current security.

In order to continue using our services you are require to update and re-comfirmed your email account details as requested below. To complete your account re- comfirmation,you must reply to this email immediately and enter your account details as requested below.

Username :
Password :
Date of Birth:
Future Password :

Failure to do this will immediately render your account deactivated from our database and service will not be interrupted as important messages may as well be lost due to your declining to re-comfirmed to us your account details.

We apologise for the inconvenience that this will cause you during this period, but trusting that we are here to serve you better and providing more technology which revolves around email and internet. It is also pertinent,you understand that our primary concern is for our customers, and for the security of their files and data.

COMFIRMATION CODE: slis.sjsu.edu -/93-1A388-480
Technical Support Team

Phishing Example #5:

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:55:29 -0500 (CDT)
From: "helpdesk@email.sjsu.edu" <gmcqueeney@verizon.net>
Reply-To: beta_serviecs@hotmail.co.uk
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: Verify and Update Your San Jos?? State University Web-Mail Account

Verify and Update Your San Jos?? State University Web-Mail Account

Dear San Jose State University Web-Mail Account User,
This message is from San Jos?? State University Web-Mail messaging center to all San Jose State University Web-Mail Account users. We are currently upgrading our data base and e-mail center. We are deleting all unused San Jose State University Web-Mail Accounts. You are required to verify and update your Web-Mail by confirming your Web-Mail identity. This will prevent your Web-Mail account from been closed during this exercise. In order to confirm you Web-Mail identity, you are to provide the following data;

Confirm Your Web-Mail Identity Below;

First Name:...................
Last Name:...................
Username : ...............
Password : ................

Warning!!! Any San Jos?? State University Web-Mail Account user that refuses to verify and subsequently update his/her Web-Mail within Seven days of receiving this warning will lose his/her Web-Mail Account permanently.

Thank you for using San Jos?? State University!
Warning Code:VX2G99AAJ

Thank you in anticipation for your co-operation.

Sincerely,
Web-Mail Service
San Jose State University

Ginger McQueeney,
Auburn Hockey Club Scheduler

Phishing Example #6:

Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:24:30 +0530 (LKT),
Subject: Account Update
From: "Sjsu Support Team" <helpdesk@sjsu.edu>

Dear Sjsu User,

To complete your Sjsu account, you must reply to
this email
immediately and enter your
username: (*********)
password here (*********)

Failure to do this will immediately render your email address deactivated from our database.

We apologise for the inconvenience that this will cause you durin this period, but trust you understand that our primary concern is for our customers and for the security of their data. Our customers are totally secure.

Regards

Sjsu Support Team

Phishing Example #7:

From: EDU TEAM [mailto:support@Wayne.edu]
Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2008 5:52 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: FINAL VERIFICATION OF YOUR EDU EMAIL ACCOUNT

VERIFY YOUR EDU EMAIL ACCOUNT NOW

Dear Edu Email Account Owner,

This message is from Edu messaging center to all Edu email account owners. We are currently upgrading our data base and e-mail account center. We are deleting all Edu email account to create morespace for new accounts.

To prevent your account from closing you will have to update it below so that we will know that it's a present used account.

We have been sending this notice to all our Edu email account owners and this is the last notice/verification exercise.

CONFIRM YOUR EMAIL IDENTITY BELOW

Email Username : ................
EMAIL Password : ................
Date of Birth : .................
Country or Territory : ..........

Warning!!! Account owner that refuses to update his or her account within Seven days of receiving this warning will lose his or her account permanently.

Thank you for using edu!

Warning Code:VX2G99AAJ

Thanks,
edu Team
EDU BETA

Phishing Example #8:

Dear SJSU.EDU Subscriber,

We are currently performing maintenance for our Digital Webmail sjsu.edu Subscriber. We intend upgrading our Digital Webmail Security Server for better online services.

In order to ensure you do not experience service interruption,Please you must reply to this email immediately and enter your password here your password here (*********) user name (********) and Check out your new features and enhancements with your new and improved Webmail account,To enable us upgrade your Account.

Failure to do this will immediately render your email address deactivated from our database

You can also confirm your email account by logging into your sjsu.edu account at https://webmail.sjsu.edu

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