How to recognize and report fake e-mails or phishing
What is phishing?
'Phishing' is the general term for fraud in which someone tries to get hold of your personal (credit card) details. You may for instance receive a fake e-mail, SMS text message or WhatsApp message that will take you to a fake website.
Scammers will be looking for the following data:
- Your credit card details;
- The log-in details for Creditcard Online;
- Your name, address and place of residence;
- E-mail address and password for your e-mail address;
- Details of your bank account (IBAN).
Unfortunately, we are - usually - unable to prevent the phishing activities of internet criminals. We would however like to tell you how to recognize fake messages and what actions you can take together with us to combat phishing.
How does a fake e-mail work?
A fake e-mail is an e-mail that is sent in the name of ICS. The goal of the e-mail is to get you to provide personal data. The e-mail will contain a request to enter data and a link to a fake website.
Recognizing fake e-mails
You can recognize fake e-mails as follows:
- The e-mail is usually not personal, it will say 'Dear client' or 'Dear Sir/Madam';
- You will be asked to take action quickly in the e-mail;
- If you do not respond immediately to the e-mail, your credit card will be blocked;
- The e-mail will also contain a link that will take you to a fake website;
- Your e-mail provider or spam filter will in fact usually identify the e-mail as spam.
- How to forward a fake e-mail?
Good that you want to forward a fake e-mail to us. Send it to valse-email@icscards.nl. If you follow the steps below, we will receive as much information from you as possible. That will enable us to take targeted action.
- Send the message as an attachment to valse-email@icscards.nl.
- Sent? Then delete the message immediately.
- You will receive a confirmation of your report, we will treat this with due care.
- You do not need to contact us.
Clicked on the link in a fake message?
- In this case, always contact ABN AMRO Creditcard Services.
- We will examine how serious this is and provide further assistance.
How does smishing work?
Scammers who try to get hold of your data via SMS text messaging use smishing, i.e. SMS-phishing. Incoming SMS text messages are much shorter than a detailed e-mail. You will therefore often see an instruction such as ‘confirm your identity', 'remove the restriction on your credit card’ or ‘your credit card has been blocked for security reasons'. This is followed by a request to click on a link to resolve this.
How to recognize a fake SMS text message or WhatsApp message
To recognize whether someone is trying to get hold of your data via a message on your telephone, watch out for the following:
- Short text;
- You are asked to do something to be able to continue to use your credit card;
- SMS text message comes from an unknown (foreign) number or from ICS.
Example of fake SMS text message
"Your card has been temporarily blocked due to the new PSD2 security requirements, avoid unnecessary costs and immediately reactivate your card via icsactivation.com"
- How to forward a fake SMS text message or WhatsApp message?
Good that you want to forward a fake message to us. Send it to valse-email@icscards.nl. If you follow the steps below, we will receive as much information from you as possible. That will enable us to take targeted action. Don’t forget to delete the message after sharing it with us.
Check the operating system of your mobile phone. Do you have a Samsung, Huawei, or Xiaomi, for example? Then you are using the Android operating system. Follow the steps below to forward a fake message.
Forwarding a fake SMS text message with Android-based phones:
- Make a printscreen of the SMS text message.
- Select the text of the SMS text message by tapping and holding your finger on it.
- A menu will now open, select the 'Share' option.
- Select your e-mail program. For instance, select ‘E-mail’, ‘Outlook’ or ‘Gmail’.
- In the 'To' field, enter the following e-mail address: valse-email@icscards.nl.
- Be sure to use the words ‘Fake SMS text message’ in 'Subject'.
- Add the printscreen you made (earlier) to the e-mail.
- Press the ‘Send’ button.
Forwarding a WhatsApp message with Android-based phones:
- Select the WhatsApp message by tapping and holding your finger on it.
- A menu will now open, select the ‘Copy’ option.
- Open your e-mail program and create a new e-mail message.
- In the 'To' field, enter the following e-mail address: valse-email@icscards.nl.
- Be sure to use the words ‘Fake WhatsApp message’ in 'Subject'.
- Now hold your finger on the text field of the e-mail.
- The menu will be displayed, select the ‘Paste’ option.
- Press the ‘Send’ button.
Do you have an iPhone? Then you are using the iOS operating system. Follow the steps below to forward a fake message.
Forwarding a fake SMS text message with iOS-based phones:
- Make a printscreen of the SMS text message.
- Select the SMS text message by tapping and holding your finger on it.
- A menu will now open, select the ‘Copy’ option.
- Open your e-mail program and create a new e-mail message.
- In the 'To' field, enter the following e-mail address: valse-email@icscards.nl.
- Be sure to use the words ‘Fake SMS text message’ in 'Subject'.
- Now hold your finger on the text field of the e-mail and select ‘Paste’.
- Add the printscreen you made (earlier) to the e-mail.
- Press the ‘Send’ button.
Forwarding a WhatsApp message with iOS-based phones:
- Select the WhatsApp message by tapping and holding your finger on it.
- A menu will now open, select the ‘More’ option.
- Select the arrow at the bottom-right of the screen.
- Now select the square with an upward arrow, this is also at the bottom-right.
- Select your e-mail program. For instance, select ‘Mail’, ‘Outlook’ or ‘Gmail’.
- In the 'To' field, enter the following e-mail address: valse-email@icscards.nl.
- Be sure to use the words ‘Fake WhatsApp message’ in 'Subject'.
- Press the ‘Send’ button
- Phishing via telephone call
Is someone asking you on the phone for your Card details in the name of ICS?
- Do not respond. Hang up immediately.
- Report the case of telephone phishing to us. Contact ABN AMRO Creditcard Services.
- See a payment that you do not recognize?
This could be fraud, but does not always have to be. We are pleased to check this with you:
- Check whether it really is wrong. More information is available on the page Unauthorized transaction;
- Unauthorized but no fraud? Then you can report an 'Unauthorized transaction;
- If it is fraud? Report this immediately to ABN AMRO Creditcard Services.
Tip: ICS will never ask you via a link in an e-mail or SMS text message to log in, modify data or provide data. If you want to log in, always open a new tab in your web browser and go to icscards.nl/abnamrogb to log in safely. If you receive an SMS text message from ICS, it will be a request to contact us or you will receive a code for verification or authorization. ICS will never ask you to send in your credit card. If someone requests your credit card, do not send it.
Looking for information on:
- How to recognise fake emails or phishing
- Reporting fake emails, phishing or suspicious transactions
- How to recognise malicious software
- Tips for safe online shopping
- Tips to use Creditcard Online and the ICS App securely
- Unauthorised transactions
- Examples of phishing emails
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