New Round of Spam E-mails Uses BBB's Name - KHGI-TV/KWNB-TV/KHGI-CD-Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings

New Round of Spam E-mails Uses BBB's Name

A new round of spam e-mails are again capitalizing on the Better Business Bureau's name. This time, the e-mails claim that the BBB is giving away $1,000 Visa gift cards, and consumers just need to fill out an online survey to collect the cash.

The e-mails originate from a variety of addresses and contain links to various websites. But all iterations use a message similar to that below:

Dear XXXX,

On behalf of Better Business Bureau you have been issued a $1,000 Visa Gift Card free of charge.

Card type: Visa Gift Card

Issued to: XXX

Issuing branch: Amarillo, Texas

Valid until: 08/2015

 Please use the following website to claim your card and have it shipped to the address of your choosing:

Go to: www reward2012 com

Note that claims must be made within 48 hours from this email being sent, or the above link will become invalid.

Sincerely, Rachel                                                                                                               Customer Service                                                                                                              Employee Benefits Center, LLC

The BBB says that if a consumer visits the web address given in the email, he/she will be asked to input demographic info, an address, an e-mail and a cell phone number.

After analyzing these emails, the BBB believes these are not the same as traditional phishing scams. In a phishing scam, the objective is to download malware onto an unsuspecting victim's computer which will later gather sensitive banking, personal information and contacts. These latest emails, rather, are probably an unscrupulous way to collect consumer data.

For more information, visit www.bbb.org.