Another spam WTF



  • I received the following scam spam today, purportedly from "Bank of America <Service.alert@bankofamerica.com>"...

     

    (I don't feel right about posting an intact phishing link, so I inserted several *'s into it)

     


    Security Update Alert

     
    Dear Customer:
     
    We've noticed that you experienced trouble logging into Wells Fargo Online Banking.

    After three unsuccessful attempts to access your account, your Wells Fargo Online Profile has been locked. This has been done to secure your accounts and to protect your private information. Wells Fargo is committed to making sure that your online transactions are secure.

    To unlock your account, and verify your identity please follow this link and sign in:

    https://www.bankofamerica.com/index.corp?=login

    Thank you for your patience as we work together to protect your account.

    Sincerely,

    Bank of America Customer Service

    *Important*
    Please update your records on or before 48 hours, a failure to update your records will result in a temporal hold on your funds.

    <p><span>Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC.
    <a href="file:///C:/help/equalhousing_popup.cfm" title="Link opens 
    

    Equal
    Housing Lender pop-up window">
    Equal Housing Lender

    © 2006 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.



  • you don't need to feel bad about it, the web page isn't responding anymore.  Also firefox popped up a warning that the webpage was a phishing attempt.



  • This isn't a WTF... Report it to the FTC (ftc.gov), like any informed user SHOULD do.



  • There's nothing WTF-worthy about this particular one. I get dozens like this. What's really funny is when you get such a badly crafted phishing email that they haven't spelled any words correctly, including the name of the bank in question. For instance, I've had a couple from Wels Furgo and one from the Bank of Amrieca.



  • @craiga said:

    There's nothing WTF-worthy about this particular one. I get dozens like this. What's really funny is when you get such a badly crafted phishing email that they haven't spelled any words correctly, including the name of the bank in question. For instance, I've had a couple from Wels Furgo and one from the Bank of Amrieca.

     

    I Love when I get the ones from "Fifth Third Bank" (!!!)



  • @Morbii said:

    I Love when I get the ones from "Fifth Third Bank" (!!!)

     

    I don't get it - you mean this Fifth Third Bank? Sure the spams are phishing, but the bank's real...



  • Man, have you people missed the point.

    We've noticed that you experienced trouble logging into Wells Fargo Online Banking.

    ...

    Bank of America Customer Service

    That's the WTF on this one.

     



  • Not to mention the context of the email.
    "After 3 unsuccessful attempts at logging in, we locked your account, so click here to log in."
    Um, how am I supposed to log in if I'm not allowed to log in?



  • @CDarklock said:

    Man, have you people missed the point.

    We've noticed that you experienced trouble logging into Wells Fargo Online Banking.

    ...

    Bank of America Customer Service

    That's the WTF on this one.

     

      Nonono.....

     

     

    Bank of America Customer Service

    That's the real WTF on this one.

     



  • @Cloaked User said:

    @Morbii said:

    I Love when I get the ones from "Fifth Third Bank" (!!!)

     

    I don't get it - you mean this Fifth Third Bank? Sure the spams are phishing, but the bank's real...

    Oh, those wacky early-20th-century Americans...

    Fifth Third traces its origins to the Bank of the Ohio Valley, which
    opened its doors in Cincinnati in 1858. In 1871, that bank was
    purchased by the Third National Bank. With the turn of the century came
    the union of the Third National Bank and the Fifth National Bank, and
    eventually the organization became known as "Fifth Third Bank."

    What
    a dumb name.  They couldn't have come up with something more
    sensible like, I don't know, "Eighth National Bank"?  Or just
    renamed it to something else entirely? 



  • I got one similar to this last week, except Wells Fargo was never mentioned, and the destination url was something along the lines of "http://www.somebogussite.com/www.bankofamerica.com/login".

    My favorite, though, is the one that in almost correct grammar said that they had updated their software and, as a result I needed to log in to verify my account information. The part that makes it my favorite, though, was the last sentence that said "In order to ensure the security of your account information, we [b]demand[/b] you log in to your account immediately." I've never had a bank [b]demand[/b] that I do something before.



  • @KenW said:

    I got one similar to this last week, except Wells Fargo was never mentioned, and the destination url was something along the lines of "http://www.somebogussite.com/www.bankofamerica.com/login".

    My favorite, though, is the one that in almost correct grammar said that they had updated their software and, as a result I needed to log in to verify my account information. The part that makes it my favorite, though, was the last sentence that said "In order to ensure the security of your account information, we [b]demand[/b] you log in to your account immediately." I've never had a bank [b]demand[/b] that I do something before.

     

    My bank demands that I pay my mortgage every month. 
    Maybe I should switch to your bank...



  • @cconroy said:

    Oh, those wacky early-20th-century Americans...

    Fifth Third traces its origins to the Bank of the Ohio Valley, which opened its doors in Cincinnati in 1858. In 1871, that bank was purchased by the Third National Bank. With the turn of the century came the union of the Third National Bank and the Fifth National Bank, and eventually the organization became known as "Fifth Third Bank."

    What a dumb name.  They couldn't have come up with something more sensible like, I don't know, "Eighth National Bank"?  Or just renamed it to something else entirely? 

    I always thought "Wachovia Bank" was a dumb name.  Was the name picked just for the ad campaign?  "We watch over ya."  Like "Leavethelightonferya Motel."

    Except it's not pronounced "Watch ova ya."  I think it's pronounced "Walk ova ya" which is dumber.

     



  • @newfweiler said:

    I always thought "Wachovia Bank" was a dumb
    name.  Was the name picked just for the ad campaign?  "We
    watch over ya."  Like "Leavethelightonferya Motel."

    Except it's not pronounced "Watch ova ya."  I think it's pronounced "Walk ova ya" which is dumber.

    Oh, I agree, though Wikipedia says it's not actually a made-up name (well, not exactly):

    Wachovia, pronounced wah-KO-vee-yah, has one of the most unusual corporate names in the United States. The origin of the name is the Latin form of the German name Wachau. When Moravian settlers arrived in Bethabara, North Carolina in 1753, they gave this name to the land they acquired, because it resembled a valley along the Danube River called die Wachau. The area formerly known as Wachovia now makes up most of Forsyth County, and the largest city is now Winston-Salem.

    I generally prefer "natural" corporation names to made-up ones, but in a case like "Fifth Third" I'll take a well-crafted name (Verizon, e.g., works well for me) over a grammatically stupid real one.



  • @cconroy said:

    @newfweiler said:

    I always thought "Wachovia Bank" was a dumb
    name.  Was the name picked just for the ad campaign?  "We
    watch over ya."  Like "Leavethelightonferya Motel."

    Except it's not pronounced "Watch ova ya."  I think it's pronounced "Walk ova ya" which is dumber.

    Oh, I agree, though Wikipedia says it's not actually a made-up name (well, not exactly):

    Wachovia, pronounced wah-KO-vee-yah, has one of the most unusual corporate names in the United States. The origin of the name is the Latin form of the German name Wachau. When Moravian settlers arrived in Bethabara, North Carolina in 1753, they gave this name to the land they acquired, because it resembled a valley along the Danube River called die Wachau. The area formerly known as Wachovia now makes up most of Forsyth County, and the largest city is now Winston-Salem.

    I generally prefer "natural" corporation names to made-up ones, but in a case like "Fifth Third" I'll take a well-crafted name (Verizon, e.g., works well for me) over a grammatically stupid real one.

    Hello from Winston-Salem. I can confirm the above. The real WTF is Wachovia interest rates.



  • @cconroy said:

    They couldn't have come up with something more sensible like, I don't know, "Eighth National Bank"?

     

    From the Straight Dope article:  "If you combine the Fifth and Third banks, aren't you entitled to average things out and call it the Fourth?"




  • @Cloaked User said:

    @Morbii said:

    I Love when I get the ones from "Fifth Third Bank" (!!!)

     

    I don't get it - you mean this Fifth Third Bank? Sure the spams are phishing, but the bank's real...

     

    Amazing.. I assumed even the bank was fake... stupid name (and yes I've seen some of the other posts).



  • @emurphy said:

    @cconroy said:

    They couldn't have come up with something more
    sensible like, I don't know, "Eighth National Bank"?

     

    From the Straight Dope article:  "If you combine the Fifth and Third banks, aren't you entitled to average things out and call
    it the Fourth?"


    "Third and Fifth Bank" would be more readable I reckon, similar to First and Third Trinity Boat Club, the boat club for Trinity College, Cambridge.



  • @emurphy said:

    *Important*
    Please update your records on or before 48 hours, a failure to update your records will result in a temporal hold on your funds.

    Anyone know what a Temporal hold on your funds is?

    It sounds cool though :P 



  • @craiga said:

    There's nothing WTF-worthy about this particular one. I get dozens like this. What's really funny is when you get such a badly crafted phishing email that they haven't spelled any words correctly, including the name of the bank in question. For instance, I've had a couple from Wels Furgo and one from the Bank of Amrieca.

     

    That might be for the same reason spammers send you ads for "viarga" or similar - in hope to get through automatic filters.

     

     



  • @PeterStephenson said:

    @emurphy said:

    Important

    Please update your records on or before 48 hours, a
    failure to update your records will result in a temporal hold on your funds.

    Anyone know what a Temporal hold on your funds is?

    It sounds cool though :P 

    Apparently they'll funnel your bank account into a rift in the space-time continuum.  Sounds awesome/ 



  • @fennec said:

    Oh, I agree, though Wikipedia says it's not actually a made-up name (well, not exactly):

    Wachovia, pronounced wah-KO-vee-yah, has one of the most unusual corporate names in the United States. The origin of the name is the Latin form of the German name Wachau. When Moravian settlers arrived in Bethabara, North Carolina in 1753, they gave this name to the land they acquired, because it resembled a valley along the Danube River called die Wachau. The area formerly known as Wachovia now makes up most of Forsyth County, and the largest city is now Winston-Salem.

    So... a Germanic name starting with a W (and thus pronounced "V") is converted to its Latinate form. This retains the V as there is no W in the Latin alphabet ( == Vacovia), yet it is then spelled in the Germanic fashion, giving back the W and the aspirant C ( == Wachovia) and then pronounced phonetically as an English name. And people wonder why English is so hard for foreigners to learn (and for native speakers to spell)



  • @MrBester said:

    @fennec said:

    Oh, I agree, though Wikipedia says it's not actually a made-up name (well, not exactly):

    Wachovia, pronounced wah-KO-vee-yah, has one of the most unusual corporate names in the United States. The origin of the name is the Latin form of the German name Wachau. When Moravian settlers arrived in Bethabara, North Carolina in 1753, they gave this name to the land they acquired, because it resembled a valley along the Danube River called die Wachau. The area formerly known as Wachovia now makes up most of Forsyth County, and the largest city is now Winston-Salem.

    So... a Germanic name starting with a W (and thus pronounced "V") is converted to its Latinate form. This retains the V as there is no W in the Latin alphabet ( == Vacovia), yet it is then spelled in the Germanic fashion, giving back the W and the aspirant C ( == Wachovia) and then pronounced phonetically as an English name. And people wonder why English is so hard for foreigners to learn (and for native speakers to spell)

    The Wachau is in Austria, not in Germany. Wachovia is the name of that area in Czech, since Moravia is a part of the Czech Republic.


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