Android co-founder Andy Rubin’s new smartphone company Essential recently started shipping out its first smartphone. The company actually missed its own release deadline due to certification issues. Customers were made to wait for longer than they expected and now that their units have started shipping, some of them have been hit by a phishing attack. That’s really no fault of the company itself, though.
Many Essential customers have reported on Reddit that they have received emails that have apparently been sent by Essential. The emails are asking them to provide “additional verifying information” about their orders.
The emails have been sent from a support account customercare@essential.com. They claim that the company requires the additional information in order to process their order.
It asks for an alternative email address, phone number, and even a picture of a photo ID that clearly shows the customer’s signature, photo, and address.
It’s unclear if any customers have fallen prey to this phishing attack so far. The issue has been widely reported, though, and Essential is aware of the situation. The company tweeted that it’s looking into a recent email that was received by some customers.
“We’ve taken steps to mitigate & will update with more info soon,” it added. If you’re someone who has received an email like this, please do not reply with your personal information. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
We’re aware of & looking into a recent e-mail received by some customers. We’ve taken steps to mitigate & will update with more info soon.
— Essential (@essential) August 30, 2017
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