If you received an email today from Delta Air Lines confirming your round-trip flight from New York’s JFK International Airport to San Francisco for the week of Nov. 26, don’t drop everything to start packing your bags.
In fact, do not click on any part of that message.
The email is bogus and has apparently been sent to many Delta customers.
“We have received reports from customers of fraudulent emails claiming to be from Delta,” said Delta Air Lines spokesman Paul Skrbec via email. “We have updated delta.com with an advisory and continue to work with our customers regarding these claims.”
Skrbec would not say how many customers may have received the bogus email, only that “we continue to investigate these reports from customers.”
Delta's website alert warned that the fake emails were "phishing," a scam by which someone tries to get financialorotherconfidentialinformation,typicallybysendingane-mailthat appears legitimate.
Delta said on its website: “These emails claim that you have purchased a Delta ticket, a credit card has been charged and/or an invoice or receipt is attached to the email. If you receive one of these emails, do not open the attachment as it may contain potentially dangerous viruses or harm your computer.”
The company says that customers’ credit cards have not been charged as a result of the emails. “These emails did not originate from Delta, nor do we believe that any personal information that you provided us was used to generate these emails," Delta says. "We will continue to post updates on this page as additional information becomes available.”
In the meantime, though, the airline recommends that anyone receiving the phishing email message change their SkyMiles account PIN immediately and monitor their account for any misuse.
Earlier this month, Delta also posted an advisory about fraudulent postcard offers for two tickets anywhere on Delta's system and/or 3 days/2 nights hotel and vacation packages. The airline notes that similar postcards are also circulating using Northwest Airlines trademarks, and is telling customers that “Delta does not market in this manner, has no affiliation with these promotions, and is working to identify and stop the parties responsible.”
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