Email from Bankrate

Aidanmc

I received an email from 'Bankrate' asking me to verify email address by clicking a button.

But i did not try and open Bankrate account, never even heard of them before but they seem to be some US company.

Should i contact them via the email address below to let them know i did not create a Bankrate account or could that email address be scammed?

GrumpyDil

I suspect someone has keyed your email address by accident.   A quick check suggests they are legitimate but I would delete the email and ignore it.

punchdrunk475

I just woke up to the same exact email and have also never heard of them…which is making me think this is possibly a large-scale scam? I’m leaning towards ignoring it but I’m also unsure what to do. 

Username03725

Rather than confirm it via that link, try going to the site's main login page to log in there, and go down the Forgot Password route. You should get either a password reset mail or a msg that your email isn’t recognised.

Newcad

Aidanmc said:

I received an email from 'Bankrate' asking me to verify email address by clicking a button.

But i did not try and open Bankrate account, never even heard of them before

It's a scam then,
someone has your email from a data breach and are trying to verify that it is still active.
If you reply then that shows it is active and you can then expect to get much more spam to that email address in future.

They may even try to get more details from you, like your actual bank account details.

Just mark it as spam / delete it..

Then go to https://haveibeenpwned.com/ and check if your email address has been in a data breach. (or rather how many it has been in).

Nobody is immune to a data breach, and I check my own email addresses regularly.

While you are at it check your passwords too https://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords

Obviously you should change any passwords that have been pwned in a data breach.
For extra security set up 2 Factor Authentication where you can for banks, utility accounts, etc.

Whilst it's recommended that you also abandon any breached email addresses that can be more difficult.
You need to set up a new email address and inform all your genuine contacts, and your utility suppliers, doctor, etc.,etc. that you now have a new address.
It's a PITA to do, but I guess most of us have changed email address at sometime, for whatever reason.

PS. I moderate a forum and just this week we are getting a rash of spam posts ostensibly from 'old' members.
Someone has got their usernames and passwords from a data breach and is logging in as them to post spam using their names. We expect to see more.
All the ones that I've checked so far have also had their email address pwned.
(I suspect that they have been gathered from the 'MoveIt' breach, but may be from the 2024 'Mother of All Breaches' aka MOAB)