FRAUD: Fake websites target crew members Brightwell accounts

Oct 09, 2019

Fraudulent websites have targeted crew members accounts claiming they are the financial company Brightwell. 

The scam is quite simple and one of the oldest and most effective on the internet. The people behind this fraud send emails or share on social media posts of a financial reward if the targeted group of people signs in. Then the victims go to the fake website where they are asked to sign up with their username password, card number, expiration date, etc. Once they enter all the info the people behind this scam have all they need to access and empty your financial account in a second.

That’s exactly what has happened with the latest fraud. Cruise ship crew members have been targeted by fake websites that look very similar to Brightwell official website claiming there is a $200 Bonus for each cruise ship crew member. The message on one of the fake websites reads:

“Bonus Reward Salary at Sea - Notification to all crew Carnival Cruises Line and Norway Cruises Line to immediately check the additional salary of $ 200 for this month thanks"

Any crew member working for these two cruise lines will notice that there is a typo in this announcement (the first cruise company is Carnival Cruise Line not Carnival Cruises Line, and the second one is Norwegian Cruise Line, not Norway Cruises Line). Besides this obvious mistake by the person or the group behind this criminal act, there is one more question that any crew member needs to ask before he/she acts and that is  – Since when Carnival or NCL has given bonuses to their crew members? 

Brightwell has shared the latest scam on their Facebook page saying that the fake websites use similar domain names to lure targeted crew members.

“We are always keeping an eye out for the safety and security of our crew members. Fraudsters have recently been targeting our crew members by setting up phishing websites that look very similar to our Brightwell Navigator website. Remember, only trust brightwellnavigator.com and the Brightwell Navigator mobile app.

Always double-check the website address, and confirm that the words Brightwell and Navigator are spelled correctly. Do NOT go to websites that end in .xyz or .co or .company. Do NOT log into websites that look strange or different than normal.

If you believe your account has been compromised, immediately call the number on the back of your card or submit a support ticket in the mobile app or online at brightwellnavigator.com”

Reminder:

• DO NOT go to websites ending in .xyz or .co or .company

• Do NOT log into websites that look strange or different than normal

• Do NOT enter your full card details, PIN and CVV into an unknown website.

• Only trust emails from @brightwell.com

• Only trust BrightwellNavigator.com