Spam email posing as Bitdefender

DarleeAnn

Hello

I just received a possible scam email from bitdefender.

Where can I forward this email onward to be Investigated further?

Thanks!😊👍

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/95537/spam-email-posing-as-bitdefender

If you think the website is malicious and not blocked by bitdefender you can share the same with malware researchers by filling up the forum in below stated link

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/29358/

If website is indeed malicious, detection will be created in maximum of 72 hours and if the website still remains undetected after 72 hours, consider the website as non malicious by malware researchers and the detection will not be created.

Regards

Alexandru_BD

Hi @DarleeAnn,

Can you also post a screenshot of this message here, please, so we can have a look and advise further? This would also help raise awareness of such emails.

As Bitdefender’s influence in the cyber-security industry grows, there are more scammers pretending to be Bitdefender and it's important for everyone's safety to spot the difference between a legitimate Bitdefender correspondence and scam messages.

Regards

DarleeAnn

Hi Alex

I have tried a few times to post the screenshots of the email that I received.

I keep getting the message " You have to be around a little longer" Before I am allowed to post.

I also received a message from Flexx with a link to report. Unable to upload info there as well. Will try from my PC.

DarleeAnn

Scott

Hi @DarleeAnn you are now at Level 2, you should be able to post an image. Refresh this forum page and try again and see if it works.

Scott

Scott

Try logging out and back into the forum, also.

DarleeAnn

Hi

Despite logging out and re-signing in I am still unable to post and still get the same error on both my android and PC.

Made a Wordfile copy of the email and it still wouldn't let me upload :-(

Thanks for the upgrade to Level 2 Scott... :-)

DarleeAnn

Scott

@Alexandru_BD would you check into this please, to see what may be happening on the forum end. Thank you :)

Alexandru_BD

Hi @DarleeAnn,

I also confirm you should be able to attach images to your comments.. Can you send me a private message and try to attach the screenshot there, please? Let's see if the option is available to you via PM and in the meantime, i'll check on my end to see what could be preventing the upload here, because the current user permissions should allow this.

Regards

Scott

I was wondering if a browser extension could be blocking it as well? Maybe disable any ad blocker, and especially Bitdefender Anti-Tracker, just in case?

Alexandru_BD

Yeah @Scott, I think that's a good idea 👍️

Alexandru_BD

Update: we have discussed this in private, the restriction persists and I have now contacted our Support teams for further assistance, as I don't seem to find the root cause..

Alexandru_BD

A quick update on this topic, as @DarleeAnn was very kind to help us figure this out.

I came into possession of the screenshot that displays the content of the scam email received and immediately saw the red flags. First, there is no such thing as Total Security "Platinum" and the Bitdefender home user portfolio doesn't offer an antivirus that expensive. 343$ is a lot of money for a consumer solution. Secondly, the phone number does not belong to Bitdefender and the sender is most likely going by a false or assumed identity.

The phone number displayed in the body has been previously flagged as dangerous:

Last but not least, the email is badly written, the layout on the page is unprofessional and the message is meant to lure the recipient to call that number by suggesting a payment will be collected from their account. Chances are, when you see this amount and don't remember anything about it, you will be tempted to call that number. This is a well known scare tactic where the perpetrators rely on the victim's impulse, taking advantage of the ignorant and people who are in a hurry. Usually, If you dial such numbers, the person who answers will quickly try to gain remote access to your computer, or manipulate you into thinking they have detected serious issues with your device. Of course, they will offer their solution: giving them remote access to your computer in order to “fix” the issue. In truth, you might be installing a remote access Trojan. Things can get worse, as they can install actual malware or steal your personal documents and bank details. Truth be told, you can never really know who is on the other end, but rest assured they are up to no good.

For comparison purposes, I have also attached a legitimate Bitdefender subscription renewal template. This is how it's supposed to look:

I take this opportunity to congratulate @DarleeAnn for the due dilligence and for reaching us first. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. By raising awareness, we can help others identify these scams and improve our chances to fight against these malicious tactics.

To everyone out there, don't fall for these scams and remember that the best thing to do in this scenario is to contact Bitdefender Technical Support.

Regards

Scott

Very insightful post @Alexandru_BD and yes, thank you @DarleeAnn for being so persistent and patient, could possibly help those who will read this thread, or can be used by the members to link to.

And with ChatGPT coming into greater and greater use, we will really need to be diligent as scammers could use that as a tool to help clean up any email typos etc.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/scammers-using-chatgpt-phishing-emails

DarleeAnn

Thanks to you @Alexandru_BD & @Scott for your persistence in helping me out with this.

And never would have thought about the usage of ChatGPT for the "polish" on scam emails. Thanks for the info Scott.

I plan to frequent the discussion page so that I may learn more & be better informed.

My pleasure to help out my Community!

DarleeAnn