Fraudsters are currently again spreading spam e-mails with the supposed offer of the already well-known EU Business Register to be entered in a commercial register. Bitdefender Antispam Lab is currently monitoring a global campaign in North America, Asia and Europe.
There is danger in the small print: it says that companies who fill out and sign the form undertake to pay an annual fee of 995 euros for three years. For its part, the European Business Registry Association (EBRA), which is responsible for the European company register – a network of commercial registers in Europe that has existed since 1992 – has already warned against these request emails, which are not sent by them.
Fraud mail: fake form for entry in the EU commercial register. (Image: Bitdefender).
Lies and deceit behind fake emails
For several years, fraudsters have been trying to make money from fake requests for entries in company registers. These are bulk spams that target thousands of recipients. Last week's campaign focused on the US at 24%, followed by Ireland (26%), Sweden (18%), Denmark (14%), and Romania, the UK and Germany at 2% each.
The form gives a highly official appearance. Otherwise, the attackers act opportunistically and rely on the naivety, carelessness and lack of attention of the victims. Whoever fills out and signs the form will then receive the invoice for the first entry. The companies concerned then receive threatening follow-up emails, which also announce that they are going to court - with reference to the fact that the victim has concluded a binding contract.
Ignore requests for payment and threats
As in most spam cases, it is advisable to ignore or delete such mails. There is then no risk whatsoever for the companies contacted to lose money. In addition, the companies could otherwise entail unknown risks if they provided information to criminal third parties. Hackers can collect this information as a basis for future social engineering. The resulting costs are then considerably higher. The official warning from the European Business Registry Association (EBRA) about this scam can also be read online.
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