Halifax | This confirmation email has been sent as a security precaution.

The Halifax don't often feature on my list of phishing emails, but here's one. And what a cheap and nasty phishing attempt it is! The link isn't clickable and clearly points to something other than the actual bank - http://host-69-144-30-10.glt-wy.client.bresnan.net/halifax-online.co.uk/. Looking through Google, there are other reports of redirects on that website being hacked to point to the phishing websites.

The email is very basic - the sender obviously has no idea of how to create paragraphs in the email - so it doens't look at all official. The content is designed to panic people, but I hope that the cheap look and the lack of a link is going to help to stop people copying the link and falling for the trick!

I suspect that the sender has copied some text from a genuine Halifax email and tried (but failed) to use that. The best bit, considering the content added by the sender, is the copied line "Halifax would never send you an email asking you to verify your secure online banking details" - it says it all really! That's probably the most honest bit of the email!

Here's the email:

Dear customer, Thank you for confirming your telephone contact details. If you have made any amendments to your contact details these have now been updated. Please note that if you hold any joint accounts, only your details will be updated. This confirmation email has been sent as a security precaution. If you did not make this number change/confirmation, please visit the website below, phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. http://host-69-144-30-10.glt-wy.client.bresnan.net/halifax-online.co.uk/ Regards, Halifax Online Helpdesk FIGHT ONLINE FRAUD Please do not reply to this email address as it is not monitored and we will be unable to respond. Halifax would never send you an email asking you to verify your secure online banking details. Calls from BT landlines will cost a maximum of 4p per minute and a 6p call set-up fee. The price of calls from other telephone companies will vary. The call price is correct at 25/10/07. . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bank of Scotland plc, Registered in Scotland Number SC327000 Registered office: The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ. Authorised and regulated by Financial Services Authority