I’m not sure if I have just been attacked!  Well not me personally, but my laptop (poor thing!).  I have just received an email from “Hallmark e-cards” asking me if I recognised the name of the sender.  I didn’t as I don’t speak HTML gobbledegook (well not on a regular basis or unless I’ve had at least two pints of Pendle Witche’s!).

Being quite security conscious (unlike my wife who forgets to lock everything and anything!) I followed the security prompts and tried to collect the e-card from Hallmark’s site.  The card didn’t exist and clearly nor does my email address in thier databases.  I can only assume therefore that it was  “phishing attack” trying to get me to divulge my innermost secrets (inside leg, waist, email address etc!).

Update – It would appear that I was attacked! – Hallmark are aware of this e-card scam and have posted instructions on how to deal with the email and what to look for.   It would seem that Hallmark are not the only e-card service to have had a problem.  Further information can be gained by going to the Hallmark site.

I was helping a client out this very morning as a piece of Mal-ware had changed the way her Internet Explorer accesses the Internet and kept redirecting her to a pop up “download me as you have 80 million infected files and I can fix them all for only the small fee of an average sized countries Annual Turnover!”  I asked her to search for “Microsoft Security Essentials”, which She did using Google.  The first site that was listed on the search return page looked, for all intent and purpose, like a Microsoft site and had a big download button.  As She clicked the download button a pop up form appeared asking for Her email details, name etc.  I directed her away from that site and She clicked on a genuine Microsoft site and downloaded without having to give up her life story!  Lesson – always have a look at the browser bar to make sure you are where you think you are!

Cheers

John