anyone received invalid email from Qantas?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Myrna

Active Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2002
Posts
763
I have received this email from Qantas a number of times in the last 2 weeks, they all went into junk/spam folder. I have logged into my QFF account, and the email address is correct there. Not sure if it is legit, or a spam?

upload_2019-3-6_10-52-18.png
 
The first thing always to check is the link in any "Login" etc buttons, as you did. If in doubt, I usually also check the reply-to address and perhaps even the actual message your mail server has received as the headers may provide further clues, though that's going a bit technical then.

In the attached screen captures, the reply-to points to Qantas so that's reassuring. Reading the raw text in the headers from bottom up would often contain rather odd domain / server names and a path to your mail server if it's spam (quite often you see <some-rubbish>.ru, i.e. with love from Russia, or similar suspicious). Common sense then applies in 99% of the cases: why would a reputable company send emails through '654w8d48w.LoveMe.ru' or have their links point to Liberia?
 

Attachments

  • 2019_03_07_13_35_26_Original_message.jpg
    2019_03_07_13_35_26_Original_message.jpg
    70.7 KB · Views: 6
  • 2019_03_07_13_31_08_Make_an_offer_to_upgrade_on_your_flight_to_Sydney.jpg
    2019_03_07_13_31_08_Make_an_offer_to_upgrade_on_your_flight_to_Sydney.jpg
    20.3 KB · Views: 6
There’s bound to be someone who will be duped by this. And I’m still waiting for my $540,000,000 from Nigeria.
 
The first thing always to check is the link in any "Login" etc buttons, as you did. If in doubt, I usually also check the reply-to address and perhaps even the actual message your mail server has received as the headers may provide further clues, though that's going a bit technical then.

In the attached screen captures, the reply-to points to Qantas so that's reassuring. Reading the raw text in the headers from bottom up would often contain rather odd domain / server names and a path to your mail server if it's spam (quite often you see <some-rubbish>.ru, i.e. with love from Russia, or similar suspicious). Common sense then applies in 99% of the cases: why would a reputable company send emails through '654w8d48w.LoveMe.ru' or have their links point to Liberia?

Some of this is bad advice. No offence. The reply-to address is trivial to forge and a meaningless check.
 
The Frequent Flyer Concierge team takes the hard work out of finding reward seat availability. Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, they'll help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

Some of this is bad advice. No offence. The reply-to address is trivial to forge and a meaningless check.
Agree on that it can be fake. And we also come to the laziness of some (even large Australian globally operating) companies of not registering the most obvious domains to themselves (e.g. *.com and *.com.au), allowing some of them to be grabbed for other uses. But those messages I've checked here and there, in 90% of the cases the reply-to gives it away, too, as it points to an exotic address which has no connection to the perceived story in the message.
But you are right in that it's not waterproof by any means, rather a step in the process. To me it'd be: check the link, if reasonable check the addresses, if reasonable but still in doubt go check the headers. If still in doubt, forget it. In most cases, the fakeness is revealed quite early in those steps.
 
Another way to be safe, is taking the above example. If you were to take it on face value that one's email address is invalid is simply NEVER use the link in the email. Go yourself to www.qantas.com and login and check. No harm done that way.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top