An e-mail hoax designed to appear to have originated from Absa`s help desk claims that the bank has a virus in its computer system. The hoax advises Absa clients to remove all money from Absa accounts before midnight Thursday.
Absa has confirmed that the e-mail is a hoax, although it still does not know whom the e-mail went out to. It believes that the mail was sent selectively rather then en masse, as the server would detect bulk e-mails. ITWeb received the hoax mail through an Absa free e-mail account.
Meanwhile, a second hoax is being distributed primarily by fax, claiming that the bank is going into liquidation and that it plans to charge for its free Internet access. Absa refutes the claims as "preposterous".
Absa`s Forensic and Investigation Department, along with the group`s IT specialists, are currently investigating the origin of both messages with a view to taking serious action.
"The e-mail is completely and utterly false," comments Steve Matthewson, media relations manager, Absa. "There`s no virus, and no chance of a virus. It`s a complete hoax."
According to the e-mail`s header, the mail originated at a Sun server owned by M-Web (jhb-imta.mweb.co.za), and not info@absa.co.za, as the mail states.
The "employee at Absa" claims that the purported virus could take and swap funds between accounts, obtain credit card numbers and publish them on the Internet, delete accounts, and obtain details of the Absa free Internet subscribers. The virus is also being distributed via fax.
M-Web was contacted for comment regarding its actions on tracing the mail, but the company had not responded by the time of publication.
Share
