Beware of this scam - it is quite convincing.

[joelovesapple]

I received an email from supposedly my bank about a password change, and it had my actual name on it plus the time it said I had changed it.

The thing is, I had not changed it and so I went to a seperate link to the natwest site, and lo and behold my current password worked. I then phoned the bank up, and they said it was a phishing scam, but I just wanted to warn you and anyone you know about this. Because it had my real name on it, it scared me a little and I could not spot any spelling errors in the email either. I have registered another email account but not th one shown in the picture.

I usually spot these a mile away, so just be careful.

 

[mlts22]

Recently, ID thieves have been able to obtain information like names, addresses, and such so easily because of so many compromised servers. Using info like names, SS#s, etc. is harder for identity theft gains, so the info is sold en masse to phishers to be used with personal E-mails like this.

 

[MisterMe]

Recently, ID thieves have been able to obtain information like names, addresses, and such so easily because of so many compromised servers. Using info like names, SS#s, etc. is harder for identity theft gains, so the info is sold en masse to phishers to be used with personal E-mails like this.

You're kidding, right? You do understand that your name and address are public information. They are readily available in that nearly universal registry known as ... the Phonebook. The Phonebook is now online, which means that virtually anyone on Earth can find you. The scheme in the OP does not require the perpetrator to even know you exist. I get these things all the time--at work!

The usual mechanism is a "security alert" from a bank with which I don't do business to my work email account that I don't use for personal business. It is a pure phishing scheme. The perpetrators have huge number of email addresses including mine. They pretend to be a huge bank with a huge customer base. The phishers send enough of these phony alerts to reach enough customers to get a large enough response to make the whole exercise worthwhile. It is a game of probability.