A warning was issued this week to Neteller account holders to ignore emails claiming to originate from Neteller's Customer Service Department, prompting patrons to verify their account numbers and passwords due to wavering IP Addresses on their computer. The true Neteller has confirmed this email was not sent by them, and that the perpetrators of the fraudulent activity are not known at this time.

The tactics being used to obtain highly sensitive account information are not uncommon, although this particular email does appear to be the handiwork of informed and intelligent criminals. The email, which looks quite professional with company logos and a secure Neteller login link, claims that the email recipients account has been accessed from different computer IP addresses. It explains this could be due to dynamic and varying IP addresses (which some computers do indeed have) or that one's account has been accessed from more than one computer.

The email goes on to say that due to newly passed legislation (need we say the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) Neteller's security protocols are being updated, and that account holders must respond to the email by December 11, 2006 or their account will be indefinitely closed. An apparently secure (https://) Neteller link is included in the email, which sends the email recipients to an unknowingly masked url used to gather the sensitive account information.

Where the letter goes wrong is in the fact that it gives no identifiable information on the account. In other words, if Neteller themselves had sent the email, it would at least say the person's name and last few digits of the account itself. The fact this information was left out of the email is indicative of a mass email being sent to anyone believed to hold an open Neteller account. How and where the fraudsters received the contact information of those who do indeed hold account remains a mystery at this time. The bottom line is that all account holders should not respond to this email, and should always contact Neteller directly before sharing any of their account information.