If you’re an email customer of Tivo, Disney, JPMorgan Chase, Citi, Hilton, or Walgreen’s, prepare yourself for a boatload of spam.
Email provider Epsilon was hacked over the weekend, giving spammers access to your name and email address. Epsilon happens to be the provider to the above named companies, so if you’re a customer of any of them you’re in for a wild ride.
A security breach exposed the email addresses of potentially millions of customers of major U.S. banks, hotels and stores. The hack is so sophisticated, it’s more likely than traditional scams to ultimately trick people into revealing personal information.
Security experts said Monday they were alarmed that the breach involved targeted information, such as tying individuals to businesses they patronize. Now these experts fear customers may be more likely to reveal passwords, Social Security numbers and other sensitive data, believing the emails they receive are from the real companies and not a scam.
The Dallas based Epsilon handles online marketing for some of the biggest names in business. Those companies have flooded customers in recent days with warnings to be on guard, assuring them no passwords, credit card numbers, or other personal or sensitive information was compromised — or so they think.
If you happen to receive an email from one of the above named companies requesting any personal information from you, or asking you to click on a link, DO NOT DO IT! Instead, make a telephone call to the company directly to verify if they need any information from you. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
