Fake Amex ID verification email leads to malware

A bogus American Express account ID verification email is currently doing rounds, trying to trick users into following the offered links:

The email might look like a phishing one at first glance, but it’s not.

“Those who click the link will be taken to a webpage that advises them to wait while the page is loading,” Hoax-Slayer shares. “However, an American Express login page does not appear as the user would expect. Instead, the page will redirect to another site that harbors the BlackHole exploit kit.”

This spam run is the latest in a long line of similar ones targeting a wide variety of users, and for the victims it usually ends up with information-stealing malware being installed on their computers.

When receiving an unsolicited email with embedded links, its always best to ignore them and go to the service provider’s website directly by entering its web address into the browser.