How to recognize a phishing email?

Key features of typical phishing emails/websites include the following aspects:

Fake Email Address

Fraudsters typically send emails using fake email addresses. Some of these addresses may appear to be real such as tradealert@service.alibaba.com or security@alibaba.com.

Please be aware that the ‘From’ field in emails can be easily altered and that they are not a reliable indicator of the true origin of the email.

Non-Personal, General Greetings

Most fraud emails start with a general greeting such as ‘Dear Alibaba Member’ or Dear Alibaba User’.

Please be aware that emails from Alibaba.com start with your first name, i.e. ‘Dear Tanya,’.

Stress Urgency / Threaten Your Account Status

Fraudulent emails typically claim that your account is suspended and that you need to supply your personal info such as Member ID, password or credit card number without any explanation.

They will also try to scare you into urgent action by threatening to suspend your account if you do not provide sensitive information as soon as possible.

Fake Website Addresses (URLs)

Fake emails usually contain website addresses (URLs) that link to fake websites that asks for your personal info.

Please be aware that if Alibaba.com requests information from you, we will always direct you back to the Alibaba.com site (www.alibaba.com or www.aliexpress.com).

Fake Feedback Forms

Many fraud emails will ask you to click a link or complete a form which is similar to those provided by Alibaba.com. Through this ploy, fraudsters hope to trick you to share your personal details such as Member ID, password or credit card information.

Reference to the Alibaba.com User Agreement

In their emails/websites, fraudsters constantly refer to the Alibaba.com User Agreement in order to appear legitimate and authoritative. To counter this, just email our Customer Service Team at alibaba@service.alibaba.com should you have any inquiries.

Fake Alibaba.com Sign-Off

To appear legitimate, fraudsters will also sign off their fraudulent emails using normal Alibaba.com sign offs such as xyz@security.alibaba.com. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of the email that you received, contact our Customer Service Team at alibaba@service.alibaba.com immediately.

If you think you may have been a victim of phishing emails/websites, contact our Customer Service Team at alibaba@service.alibaba.com and sign in to My Alibaba to change your password immediately.