ABU DHABI // Etisalat has warned customers of a spam e-mail that asks recipients to pass on sensitive personal information. Some UAE residents with an emirates.net.ae e-mail account, operated by Etisalat, have received a message purporting to be from the service provider and requesting recipients to reply with their e-mail username and password. An Etisalat spokesman said: "This e-mail is a spam and has no relation to any of the services being provided by Etisalat. We recommend customers ignore or delete the e-mail and strongly advises them to refrain from replying or sending any confidential information."
The message, purportedly sent from the fictitious "Emirates Help Desk", asks recipients to "verify your e-mail account" because of "upgrades" being carried out on the database and "e-mail centre". "We are deleting all unused e-mail to create more space for new one," the email reads. "To complete your emirates.net.ae account, you must reply to this e-mail immediately and enter your username (******) and password here (******)."
The message provides a weblink via which subscribers can confirm their details, and warns that those who fail to comply will have their account "deactivated". The Government's computer emergency response team warns people never to respond to e-mails that ask for personal details. zconstantine@thenational.ae