Full Notification

UPDATE:

After reading the original release, a Valdez resident was checking her email and discovered a very similar email claiming to be from FedEx. The subject line of the email was, "Delivery Notification" and provided a .pdf attachment for "DETAILS". This report was investigated by the CCU and discovered to be fraudulent and containing a virus. Upon further research, it was discovered that this scam, as well as several others similar to it, have been reported to FedEx by many others. In an effort to inform the public, FedEx has created a Customer Protection Center on their website (http://www.fedex.com/us/security/prevent-fraud/index.html) to help their customers identify fraud schemes.

On their website they help customers identify Common Warning Signs of Online Scams, which include:

•     Unexpected requests for money in return for delivery of a package, often with a sense of urgency.
•     Requests for personal and/or financial information.
•     Links to misspelled or slightly altered website addresses (fedx.com, fed-ex.com, etc.) Spelling and grammatical errors or excessive use of capitalization and exclamation points.
•     Claims that you have won a large sum of money in a lottery or settlement.
•     Certificate errors or lack of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for sensitive activities.

Additionally, their website provides examples of reported fraudulent emails to help customers identify correspondence validity.

ORIGINAL RELEASE:

VPD Cyber Crime Unit has been investigating the report of a fraudulent email being widely dispersed containing computer malware.

Following the report of a Valdez citizen and subsequent investigation, the VPD CCU is sharing the following information to help you protect your computers and/or networks. Fraudulent emails are being dispersed claiming to be from DHL Express (a shipping company). The fraudulent emails use a convincing template and stationary, written in English with proper grammar, proper formatting, and using the DHL Express company logo. The emails claim to be providing important information regarding your package being shipped, provide a fictitious tracking number, and a .pdf attachment regarding your tracking number. Victims have been reported nationwide.

If you are not expecting a package from DHL Express, or otherwise not currently doing business with DHL Express, this is very likely a fraudulent email. The attached file is a Trojan Horse, a form of malware that lets hackers access your computer. Do not open the attached file, and do not click on any links provided in the email. Simply delete the email and clear it from you recycle bin. VPD reminds you to always use caution when opening attachments from unknown senders.

If you are doing business with DHL Express and you receive this type of email and are not sure about the authenticity of your email, you may call DHL customer service at 1-800-225-5345 to verify.

To learn more about how you can protect yourself from falling victim to this type of fraud, or to file a complaint, visit http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/

Please report all fraudulent electronic communication to the Valdez Police Department's Cyber Crime Unit so we may best serve our community in keeping our citizens informed of these schemes- 907-835-4560.