This fake Norton antivirus email could really ruin your weekend

Consumers have been warned to be on the lookout for malicious emails claiming to be from antivirus firm Norton.

The UK’s Action Fraud body has revealed a new email phishing scam using the Norton brand in order to steal money and personal information from victims.

Action Fraud says it received 110 reports in just seven days relating to fake emails purporting to come from Norton, showing the scale of the threat involved.

Fake Norton antivirus scam

In a tweet, Action Fraud said that the fake emails claim the victim’s antivirus subscription has either expired or is due for renewal.

Victims are urged to contact a fake support team in order to cancel the non-existent subscription, but the contact number included is a scam, with operators who will look to extract personal or financial information. The emails also often contain fake website links where victims will again be targeted for their valuable information, which could lead to bank accounts being drained.

The emails sport official Norton branding, and often even have an email sender address starting with the company’s name, but are purely malicious in intent.

Action Fraud says that if you receive a suspicious email, you can report it by forwarding the email to report@phishing.gov.uk. It emphasises that your bank or other official organisations won’t ever ask you to share personal information over email or text, which can be spoofed or intercepted. If you have concerns over a suspicious message or request, it’s always best to contact the organisation directly.

Email phishing campaigns are a sadly common feature for many online users, with criminals often hijacking the logo and branding of famous companies to try and trick people into exposing their information.

Most recently, scammers looked to utilise PayPal branding to steal from victims, setting up a landing page that looks almost identical to the PayPal login page, whilst also creating an email that mimics the looks and the feels of a newsletter, notification email, or warning from the company.

However, this email contains a link that instead of taking the victim towards the actual PayPal login page, instead leads them to fake landing page where, if they’re gullible, they’ll give away their passwords to the attackers.

Keep yourself safe from online threats with one of the best firewalls around