Fake Email - Posting as the site

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A user reported receiving a fake email that appeared to be from a forum, prompting them to log in under the pretense of a new private message. Upon realizing the email was a phishing attempt, they quickly changed their password to prevent any potential damage. The discussion clarified that the email sender could easily be spoofed, and it did not indicate that the actual forum was compromised. Participants advised notifying the moderators of the legitimate site about the spam issue. The user acknowledged their mistake and confirmed they had informed the other forum.
jon855
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It has come to my attention that I've obtained an email which at a quick glance seems to be impersonating this forum by asking you to check for a new private message and then I was prompted to log in, which made sense as seeing that I've not been on the site for a long time...

Well I logged in and right way - I've realizing my mistake and changed my password here before any damages could have been inflicted. And yeah I never saw the "cheap Viagra" so don't play up that please :D

Thought you would want to know. The header and the email message are posted down below in its entirely with exception of my email address.

from PhysForum Science, Physics and Technology Discussion Forums <foruml@physorg.com>
to <REMOVED>
date Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 5:49 AM
subject You have a new personal message
mailed-by physorg.com

hide details 5:49 AM (16 hours ago)


Reply


Jon855,

prantiol has sent you a new personal message entitled "Cheap viagra <URL removed>[/color].

You can read this personal message by following the link below:


<URL removed>[/color].

Regards,

The PhysForum Science, Physics and Technology Discussion Forums team.
<URL removed>[/color].
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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www.physorg.com is a completely different site. to physics forums

It's very easy to set the sender ID in an email to anything you like - it does not have to have actually been sent from that site.
A lot of spammers put legitimate site sender IDs to make you less suspicious or to get around automatic blocking software.
It doesn't mean that the physorg site was hacked or it came from any user there.
 
Just looks like an automatic private message notification that contains an advert some user has spammed your phyorg message box with. Like mgb says, it is a completely different website to this one. You may want to inform the physorg mods that somebody is spamming their users via PM with innapropriate messages.
 
mgb_phys said:
www.physorg.com is a completely different site. to physics forums

It's very easy to set the sender ID in an email to anything you like - it does not have to have actually been sent from that site.
A lot of spammers put legitimate site sender IDs to make you less suspicious or to get around automatic blocking software.
It doesn't mean that the physorg site was hacked or it came from any user there.

Kurdt said:
Just looks like an automatic private message notification that contains an advert some user has spammed your phyorg message box with. Like mgb says, it is a completely different website to this one. You may want to inform the physorg mods that somebody is spamming their users via PM with innapropriate messages.

Yeah -> wow I never realized that it was a different site... That's it, I'm an idiot or at least what happens when I am running low on sleep and speed reading the emails...

Thanks guys - the other forum have been informed.
 

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