This article was published on August 30, 2017

Essential Phone customers are being blasted with phishing emails


Essential Phone customers are being blasted with phishing emails

It might have earned over a billion in funding, but Essential is off to a rocky start. Hundreds of customers who preordered the flashy new Essential Phone are being blasted with suspicious emails, prompting them to verify their purchase with a “photo ID.”

The sketchy email is being distributed from an address linked to Essential ([email protected]), but while the sender address does seem legitimate, customers are advised to ignore the message for the time being. The company has since confirmed it is investigating the matter.

Given the unusual request, it is highly likely this could be an elaborate phishing attempt.

Here is a copy of the email in question:

The <3 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

Hi,

Our order review team requires additional verifying information to complete the processing of your recent order.

This verification is performed to protect against unauthorized use of your payment information and similar to what is conducted for in-person purchases.

Please provide an alternative email and phone number to confirm this purchase.

We would like to request a picture of a photo ID (e.g. driver’s license, state ID, passport) clearly showing your photo, signature and address. NOTE: the address on the ID should match the billing address listed on your recent order.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation. Once verified, we look forward to shipping your order.

Thanks!

Essential Products Customer Care

What is particularly concerning about this is that whoever is sending out the fishy request appears to have acquired access to the company’s customer contact list. This has led some to speculate that Essential might have suffered a breach, but the phone maker has yet to confirm this.

Users who received the email have since complained their inbox has been deluged with spam.

We’ve contacted Essential for clarification and will update this piece accordingly when we hear back. Until then… you might want to be extra careful with any emails you receive from them.

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.