QuickBooks Phishing Scam

The QuickBooks phishing scam targets small businesses with a “support request.”

Who Is It Targeting

Small businesses who rely on QuickBooks accounting software

What Is It

Phishing scam that steals information

What Are They After

Phishing scams occur when fraudsters send out hundreds of even thousands of emails, hoping they land on someone who takes the bait. In the QuickBooks phishing scam, posing as an email from QuickBooks is a safe bet since many small businesses rely on that software for their bookkeeping needs. Small businesses also are less likely to have the funding for strict IT departments staffed with highly-trained security experts.

The email that has been making the rounds actually looks like it’s meant to protect you. It states that someone has attempted to change some information in your Intuit account, and the email asks you to confirm the change. Since you didn’t do it, you click the link and “re-enter” all of your business’ information, including account numbers and passwords, thereby handing it all to a scammer.

How Can You Avoid a QuickBooks Phishing Scam

• When you receive an email for any type of request like this, check the reply address and be sure it’s genuine.
• Be careful of “close enough” email addresses that play off of a real company name by using things like a zero in the place of a letter O.
• If you’re not sure, contact the company who supposedly sent the email using a verified contact source.

For full details of this scam check out this article from Better Business Bureau. For more on scams, visit www.idtheftcenter.org.