scam/virus question

[Stingo]

Recently, I've received two emails purporting to be from service@visa.co.uk informing me that my visa card has been locked until I confirm a transaction to customer support.

In the latest email (today) the amount was for 89.99 GBP. Attached to the email is, apparently, a file supposedly containing information about the failed transaction causing the card to be locked.

On closer inspection, both of these emails seem to have arrived at my email box and yet are addressed to someone else (both times different people). This 'file' is an EXE type, which presumably means it's going to run something upon attepting to open. The actual file name is
TL-0990214.exe.

Is this being sent to the wrong person?
Is it a virus or scam?
How come Visa are sending me emails (well,I'm getting them but with some other address)

Bit weird. I guess the obvious thing is to contact them by phone see what's up...

[Viper]

Its all a con. Delete them and ignor it.

[fizzwheel]

Its a trojan or something phising for your credit card details...

Delete it and dont on any account open it. If your worried phone your bank and talk to a human being about it, IMHO no way would I be opening any attachments or running that executable.

Dont click any hyperlinks either and don't type in your credit card numbers if you are asked to do after opening that email.

These things normally work by getting you to click on a link that asks you then to "confirm" your credit card details by typing them in, normally this is linked ot a keylogger or something like that that records the keystrokes you make and then the scammer has your credit card details and your f*cked.

If you examine the email really closely you'll probably see that the logo etc etc doesnt quite match or theres some subtle errors in the font or something like that.

[Stingo]

Many thanks - I've printed off the email and will delete the piece of poo with it. Missus will call the bank tommoz to check everything is hunky-dory. (That last bit is a bit 1970's - sorry! :oops: ) :D

[Kate]

banks etc will never ever ask you via an email to confirm your details, any email you get saying that you need to, you can treat as bogus.

Also, I would strongly recommend you never double click on an .exe file unless you are completely 100% certain that its a real email from someone you trust. .Exe files are the easiest way to get virus etc as by clicking and running them, you are giving permission for the program to do things to your pc.

HTH

[philipMac]

If you ever get a mail that is any way dodgy, find a string in that mail that is unique-ish looking.
Wrap this string in quotes, and enter it as a google search string.

You will usually pull up some scam or other.