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Co Op Bank

Devoted Customer Reward

Here's a message claiming to be from the Co Op Bank and telling you that you are eligible to receive a reward. Except it's a Hoax!

----- Original Message ----- From: Co-operative Bank p.l.c. To: [your harvested email address]: ; Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 6:11 AM Subject: Devoted Customer 253 Pounds Reward

Welcome to Internet Banking Reward Please Note: After the last annual calculations of your online banking activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a reward of £ 253 (two hundred and fifty three pounds).     Please submit online the reward request and allow us 2-4 working days in order to process it. A reward can be delayed for a variety of reasons. For example submitting invalid records or applying after a deadline To access the form for your tax refund click here The deadline for accepting your request is 11 March 2007     Programs and data held on The Co-operative Bank p.l.c. and smile systems are PRIVATE PROPERTY. Unauthorised access is prohibited and is contrary to the Computer Misuse Act 1990, which may result in criminal offences and a claim for damages. Customers are reminded to keep their Customer Security Codes confidential and to contact The Co-operative Bank on 08457 212 212 immediately if they are aware someone else knows their Customer Security Codes.

We like the Co Op Bank and appreciate their ethical and generous policies, but the above message is NOT from the Co Op Bank! I don't know if the Co Op Bank have a reward scheme, but even if they do, this is not it! The message was received to a harvested address and is a phishing attack! See other bank email hoaxes. Interestingly, unlike a great many scam spam messages arriving here, the links did not go to an external site, and instead went to a local file which would have presumably been downloaded by spyware implicit in the message. The cheeky senders of the message even pinched the css cascading style sheet and banners remotely from the actual Co Op Bank and the Help Icon from HM Revenue and Customs (the UK tax office).

The version of the message you see here has been carefully stuffed and mounted and the links removed to make it safe.

If you receive a message like this, it would be best if you don't link on the links, or your computer could be compromised. See ID Theft

If you have already clicked on such a message previously received, the recommended strategy is to contact the actual bank (by phone, using the number on your last bank statement!), and to check your computer to eliminate SPYWARE. Good luck!

Also good luck to The CoOp Bank who we're hoping to promote again on this interesting affiliate website!