Imitation is certainly not an appreciated form of flattery for popular file sharing service WeTransfer when it comes to malicious activity. The cloud-based online platform is the latest name being used in a phishing scam aimed at securing credentials from its (some) 70 million users, in 190 countries worldwide. WeTransfer, known for its convenience in allowing users to transfer various files to other users on the internet, has been targeted to deliver malicious files to victims. MailGuard has intercepted this phishing attempt.
The scam attempts to copy the colorful illustrations, branding and design used by WeTransfer in order to feign authenticity to the unknowing victim. The email seems to originate from a compromised account, with the subject line advising the recipient that they have received an ‘x’ number of files via WeTransfer (similar, but not the same, to what an actual email sent by a WeTransfer user may contain). Note the addition of a ‘?’ after the ‘5 Files, 550MB in total’ information to indicate the imitation as well as the discrepancy between the sender's email address and name.
Once the user clicks on the phishing link ‘Get your files’ they are then taken to a cleverly designed WeTransfer page using similar colouring and design in order to entice the victim to enter their credentials. The scammers in this case fail to accurately imitate WeTransfer by using ‘We Transfer Plus’ instead of the actual offer of a ‘Pro’ service that WeTransfer provide.
If you have received an email from WeTransfer that rings alarm bells, please be sure to contact them via the following link: https://wetransfer.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
Furthermore, WeTransfer provides the following advice from their website to help prevent victims from giving their credentials to a cybercriminal:
“WeTransfer will never do the following:
If you do receive a suspicious communication from someone purporting to be WeTransfer, but you're not 100% sure, this is a good checklist to follow:
MailGuard urges all recipients of this email to delete it immediately without clicking on any links. Providing your personal details can result in your sensitive information being used for criminal activity.
MailGuard urges users not to click links or open attachments within emails that:
One email is all that it takes
All that it takes to devastate your business is a cleverly worded email message that can steal sensitive user credentials or disrupt your business operations. If scammers can trick one person in your company into clicking on a malicious link or attachment, they can gain access to your data or inflict damage on your business.
For a few dollars per staff member per month, you can protect your business with MailGuard's predictive and advanced email security. Talk to a solution consultant at MailGuard today about securing your company's network.
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