Email Scam Alert!

Beware of fraudulent e-mails claiming you’ve received a greeting card from a [family member…friend…schoolmate…etc.]

The websites of many greeting card publishers, and the website of the Greeting Card Association (www.greetingcard.org), are being used in an Internet “phishing” scam. 

Millions of e-mails falsely claiming to be from greeting card publishers have been sent to consumers around the country.

These fraudulent e-mails -- which claim to contain an e-card from an unnamed individual such as a  “friend” or “schoolmate” -- instruct you to click on a link in the E-mail message to view your e-card. Clicking on the link could introduce a virus into your computer.

If you get an e-mail claiming you’ve received an e-card
from a generic ‘friend’ or ‘classmate’—instead of an individual whose name or personal e-mail address you recognize — the e-mail is fraudulent and should be immediately deleted

A legitimate e-card notification will always include the actual name or personal e-mail address of the sender.  The sender will never be identified by a generic term such as “friend” or “family member.” 

If you are unsure if an e-card notice is legitimate, we strongly recommend that you go directly to the publisher’s website to safely retrieve your e-card and avoid the use of links. (Click here for instructions)

The Greeting Card Association has contacted the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI about this “phishing” scam. 

If you have received a fraudulent e-mail regarding e-cards, we recommend that you file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Example of Scam Email

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How to Identify a Legitimate E-Card and Retrieve it from a Publisher’s Website

A legitimate e-card notification will always include the actual name or personal e-mail address of the sender.  The sender will never be a generic term such as “friend” or “family member.” 

Legitimate e-card publishers will identify the e-card sender by name, and will provide a link for quickly retrieving your e-card.  However, you can also retrieve an e-card directly from a publisher’s website without the use of links.

If you are unsure if an e-card notice is genuine, we strongly recommend that you go directly to the publisher’s website to safely retrieve your e-card. To do this:

• Manually type the name of the card publisher’s website URL into your browser window.

• Locate the “e-card pick up” area on the publisher’s website.

• Take the card number or retrieval code information contained in the E-mail and enter it into the appropriate box or boxes on the publisher’s e-card pick-up area.

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