Visiting the link contained inside the e-mail, which is presented as a numerial IP address rather than a more usual name, could potentially infect the user's computer with a malicious code or take them to a Web site designed to steal information for the purposes of identity theft.
"You know you didn't buy the camera. Either the transaction is false, because someone used your credit card, or the e-mail is false, because someone is trying to scare you into clicking. Either way, the whole thing stinks," said Paul Ducklin, head of technology Sophos Asia Pacific. "If you want to contact the alleged vendor, or your credit card company, in cases like this, initiate the contact yourself based on your own information, not based on what the e-mail tells you. Go to a search engine, or type in the vendor's URL. This gives you a much better chance of getting to the real site and getting a real answer."
Dell Australia has published a warning about the e-mail on its Web site, confirming that they have not sent the e-mails and that users should be on their guard. According to media reports, Dell's phone lines were jammed as Australian users called to query the e-mail.
