BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
OF WESTERN MICHIGAN, INC
CONSUMER & BUSINESS ALERT
News Release #20111214
Issued: November 23, 2011
Contact: Phil Catlett, President
Email: bbbpresident@iserv.net
616.774.8236 - 800.684.3222
www.bbb.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES
AND CONSUMERS
ARE BEING AFFECTED BY THIS!
Beware of fake complaint email
claimingto be from bbb.org
If you receive the fake complaint Email, DON’T OPEN IT!
The Better Business Bureau is warning businesses to beware of a malicious email that pretends to be from the BBB about a complaint filed against the company.
The phishing email is sent from the multiple email addresses with the subject line “Complaint #” followed by a nine-digit number. BBB Accredited and non-Accredited Businesses have been targeted and some consumers have received the Email.
The body of the email claims that the company has received a complaint and asks them to respond to the complaint by directing them a link shown as our national website at http://www.bbb.org which actually is disguised link to a third party website.
Because the message is fraudulent, the BBB advises any business that receives this email to take the following steps:
- Do not click on any links or reply to the message,
- Completely delete the message from your inbox, and
- Run a full virus scan on your computer if you did click on any links.
If you receive an email from the Better Business Bureau about a complaint filed against your business and need assistance in determining whether or not it is legitimate, contact the BBB Serving Western Michigan at (616) 774-8236 or 800-684-3222.
For more advice on how to protect your business from malicious online attacks and data breaches visit www.bbb.org/data-security/
If you have received the below
THIS IS A SCAM!
----- Original Message -----
From: alert@bbb.org
To: bbbcis@iserv.net
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 6:28 AM
Subject: Complaint # 22127769
The Better Business Bureau has received the above-referenced complaint from one of your customers regarding their dealings with you.
The details of the consumer's concern are included on the reverse. Please review this matter and advise us of your position.
As a neutral third party, the Better Business Bureau can help to resolve the matter. Often complaints are a result of misunderstandings a company wants to know about and correct.
We encourage you to use our ONLINE COMPLAINT system to respond this complaint.
The following URL (website address) below will take you directly to this complaint and you will be able to enter your response directly on our website:
http://www.bbb.org
The Better Business Bureau develops and maintains Reliability Reports on companies across the United States and Canada .
This information is available to the public and is frequently used by potential customers.
Your cooperation in responding to this complaint becomes a permanent part of your file with the Better Business Bureau.
Failure to promptly give attention to this matter may be reflected in the report we give to consumers about your company.
Council of Better Business Bureaus
4200 Wilson Blvd, Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203-1838
BBB Urges ICANN to Beef Up Enforcement Against Scams
and Fraud Before Adding New
Top Level Domains
100-year-old consumer protection group
cites as evidence its own on-going problem
as target of massive phishing scam
using its famous logo
Washington, DC (December 14, 2011) – Consumer fraud, e-mail scams, “phishing” expeditions, viruses and malware are all part of the Internet landscape in today’s online marketplace, and it’s going to get a lot worse, according to the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB). The 100-year old consumer protection organization told the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Technology and Communications that a proposal by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) would exacerbate a problem that already defrauds consumers and businesses alike. Starting in January, ICANN plans to greatly increase the number of available top level domains (the extension to the right of the dot in Internet addresses).
“Even with the safeguards planned by ICANN, the launch of new top level domains is going to make protecting our brand – and those of many other businesses and nonprofits -- a great deal more difficult and costly unless specific measures are taken in the process of expanding the number of TLDs,” testified Anjali Hansen, CBBB’s intellectual property attorney. “BBB urges ICANN to put more protections in place now, before the problems increase exponentially.”
Hansen told the subcommittee how challenging it is to defend iconic brands such as BBB against Internet fraud and illegal activity. “Because the BBB marks are so trusted by consumers and relied on by businesses, they are high profile targets for scammers and criminal groups, who unceasingly try to commandeer them to gain instant credibility and defraud consumers,” said Hansen. “Our staff and financial resources are strained to the limit today just trying to keep up with these problems which occur almost exclusively online.”
The BBB system is currently the target of a massive email scam. Thousands of consumers have called and emailed its offices around the country about a notice that looks like an official email from BBB. Untold numbers of consumers have likely, but unintentionally, infected their computers by opening links or attachments that came with the fraudulent emails.
Hansen also noted that ICANN’s proposed process for protecting trademarks is too burdensome and costly for most small businesses, non-profit organizations and charities. Brand owners will have to pay to register their own trademarks in ICANN’s central Trademark Clearinghouse, and then buy them again in each TLD to keep them out of the hands of scammers. CBBB told the subcommittee that registering once should be enough, and ICANN should block the new TLD registries from selling domains that incorporate properly registered trademarks.
“Without more controls, the Internet will increasingly serve criminal interests over the public interest,” said Hansen. “We recommend that ICANN’s plans to expand top level domains include procedures that encourage the application of standards by registries and registrars, which in turn will help reduce costs to businesses and restore the trust of consumers. “
For a copy of CBBB’s testimony, please contact Kelsey Owen at 703-247-9376 or kowen@council.bbb.org
About BBB
The regional Better Business Bureau of Western Michigan services 38 counties in western Michigan. Our office is located in the Trust Building, 40 Pearl ST NW STE 354, Grand Rapids MI 49503. 616.774.8236 (Voice) 616.774.2014 (Fax) 800.684.3222 (Toll Free West Michigan ONLY).
BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Business Reviews and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 122 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than three million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about BBB.