Have you received such a fraudulent email or landed at one of these prank sites?
- Never respond to suspicious email from senders you don't know.
- Never open attachments or follow up links to dubious emails.
- Ignore malicious payment requests that appear in emails or on websites.
- Never install software updates or programs from unknown websites.
- Send us details of such events.
Scareware and Other Harmful Programs
There are some websites that appear as if they are operated by one of the Hermes companies. These rogue sites try to trick unsuspecting users into installing harmful programs such as spyware, trojans or viruses.
Hermes is not at all responsible for these sites. Hermes would never ask you (either by email, or on its website) to update your browser or operating system for security reasons, nor would Hermes ask you to install additional software. To be able to get the most of the functions available on Hermes sites you simply require a recent version of your browser and a program that enables PDF documents and Flash animations to be displayed.
What is Scareware?
Scareware is a software product that aims at generating a feeling of insecurity in visitors to the site by issuing warnings and alleged error messages. The concept "scareware" is a composite of "scare" and "software". Existing websites are copied 1:1 and provided under similar URLs. Some of these prank websites display a popup window that refers the user to security updates, a virus infection or the like and uses such anxiety-based strategies to "scare" the user into taking action. To remedy the problems, the user is requested to download software and to install it immediately. This software is neither a security update nor a new release of the browser. In fact, there is a significant risk that the rogue software product might be harmful. If this happens to you, we would strongly advise you to leave such misleading sites and close the browser.
Phishing E-Mails
Hermes will never ask you (eg by e-mail or by telephone or by SMS), to enter or transmit sensitive customer information via the Internet. The payment of our services will be on the spot and in cash. If you receive a payment request via e-mail, please ignore this. In this case it is a phishing attempt.
What is Phishing?
The so called "phishing" – derived from "password fishing" – is used to get a hold of confidential user data and passwords by sending out fake e-mails. Unfortunately there has recently been an increase in this sort of criminal activity. These e-mails not just ask the user to send confidential personal data, but sometimes also offer links to fake websites of companies and credit institutions to acquire the personal data when the user tries to login. No reputable company will ever ask for your password, credit card number, or personal data nor will it ask you to update that information via e-mail. In your account you have the possibility – if necessary – to update your personal information like address etc. yourself.