GREETING CARD SCAM

In the early days of the internet, it was common for friends and family to exchange greeting cards on occasions such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and festivals. Sending a greeting card via email was an easy and popular practice. These cards came in various exciting colors, designs, and animation effects, making the entire greeting experience enjoyable.

However, scammers quickly found a loophole in this practice. The scam industry is clever and constantly looking for opportunities to exploit innocent users for financial gain. Identity theft scammers began taking advantage of the trend by sending fake greeting cards via email, often claiming to be from the victim’s friends or family. The ultimate goal of the scammer was to trick victims into downloading the card, which would install malicious software and steal personal information from their computers.

This tactic became known as the greeting card scam, or e-card scam. It involves sending emails or messages that appear to contain greeting cards—usually for special occasions like birthdays or holidays. These messages include links or attachments that, when clicked, install malware on the recipient’s device. The malware can steal personal data, log keystrokes, or even take full control of the computer.

In some instances, the scam may redirect victims to a fake website designed to mimic a legitimate e-card service. There, they are asked to enter personal information, which scammers then use for fraudulent purposes. To avoid falling victim to greeting card scams, individuals should be cautious when receiving unexpected e-cards—especially from unknown senders. Always verify the legitimacy of both the sender and the e-card service before clicking on any links or downloading attachments. Additionally, keeping antivirus software up to date is essential for detecting and blocking potential threats.

Popularly known in the name of 'The Greeting card scam', this is a fraudulent practice followed by scammers to launch a malicious malware on to the victims system that will give the scammer access to all the personal and financial information stored in the victim's computer. The greeting card scam is one of the olden days trick to obtain some personal information of the victim. Greeting cards look attractive and friendly. These cards are a resemblance of a gift to someone. And when one sees unexpected gifts, there is excitement and urge to immediately see what it is about. The scammers take advantage of the excitement and urge of the victims that will actually make them click on the greeting card link. And once the link is clicked, the scammer's malicious software gets downloaded in the victim's computer, giving the scammers server access to all the important and private information available in the downloader's computer.

The greeting card scam is a deceptive tactic used by cybercriminals to trick individuals into downloading malware or revealing personal information. It typically involves sending emails or messages that appear to be legitimate greeting cards, often for occasions like birthdays, holidays, or special events. These messages may contain enticing subject lines or emotional appeals to encourage the recipient to open them. Inside the message, there is usually a link or attachment that, when clicked, can lead to the installation of malicious software on the recipient's device. This malware can range from viruses that damage the system to more sophisticated forms like ransomware, which can lock files until a ransom is paid.

In some variations of this scam, the victim may be directed to a fake website designed to resemble a legitimate e-card service. Here, they may be prompted to enter personal information, which the scammer can then exploit for fraudulent activities. To protect against greeting card scams, individuals should be cautious when receiving unexpected cards, especially from unknown senders. They should verify the legitimacy of the sender and the e-card service before clicking any links or downloading attachments. Having updated antivirus software can also help detect and block potential threats. Additionally, using common sense and being wary of unsolicited communications can go a long way in avoiding falling victim to this type of scam.

The scammer sends an attractive-looking greeting card to thousands of email addresses, hoping that at least a few recipients will open it. The email is crafted to address the victim in a friendly and personalized manner, giving it a sense of authenticity. The greeting card is typically presented as a clickable link, which, once clicked, automatically downloads malicious malware onto the victim's system. This malware causes pop-up messages, ads, and unexpected windows to appear all over the victim’s computer screen. Once installed, the malware begins transmitting all personal and financial data stored on the device to the scammer’s server. The scammer then gains access to sensitive information, such as bank account details, which may be used to hack into the victim’s accounts—potentially resulting in the loss of all associated funds.

The malicious software written by these scammers is extremely dangerous, and the victim can lose everything once it is downloaded onto their computer. Below are some of the possible consequences if a victim unknowingly downloads the malware by clicking on a fake greeting card link:

• Keystroke Monitoring: The scammer can track every keystroke the victim enters, while also monitoring all websites the victim visits. If the victim accesses sensitive accounts—such as online banking or credit card portals—the scammer can capture critical information like credit card numbers, login credentials, and banking passwords.

• Spamming Through Victim’s Email: The malware can also send spam emails to the victim’s contacts using their email account. This spreads the scam further and damages the victim’s reputation.

• Harvesting Email Contacts: The scammer can access the victim's entire email address book. Using this list, they can send additional scam emails, increasing the likelihood of success since recipients will see the email as coming from someone they trust. As a result, more people may click on the fraudulent greeting card link, unknowingly infecting their own systems.

Scammers make every effort to make the greeting card email appear legitimate and as if it’s from a trusted source. The ultimate goal is to convince the victim to click the malicious link. If you receive a greeting card unexpectedly and suspect it’s from an unknown or suspicious source, follow these precautions:

• Analyze the email carefully: Review the email step by step. Look for any clues that may indicate it’s from a suspicious or fraudulent source.

• Delete suspicious emails immediately: If you have even the slightest doubt about the legitimacy of the email, delete it right away without opening the link.

• Avoid clicking on any links: Do not click on links in the greeting card email if you suspect anything unusual or “off” about the message.

• Verify with the sender: If the greeting card appears to come from a friend’s email address, it’s always safer to confirm with them directly before clicking on the link.

• Hover over the link to inspect it: Move your mouse pointer over the link (without clicking) to view the actual URL. If it looks suspicious or unfamiliar, avoid clicking it.

• Act quickly if you’ve clicked the link: If you accidentally click on a scam link, run a full antivirus scan on your system immediately. This can help detect and remove malware early, reducing the risk of data loss or further harm.

We are providing the Spam Checker Tool for your convenience. Here, you can enter the email or the contact number that you suspect to be a scam. This tool checks it with our spam database list and ensures whether the email or the phone number is a real one or bogus.

Report scam to United States government – You could file a complaint about a scam or other crime here.

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