“Low-tech” phishing email targets Westpac customers … Amazon tops list of most valuable brands … Chemist Warehouse to grandfather penalty rates

By Emma Koehn and Dominic Powell.

A “low-tech” phishing email targeting Westpac bank customers hit inboxes yesterday, falsely informing recipients their “internet banking” was locked, and directing them towards a replica Westpac login page in an attempt to steal login credentials.

Uncovered by Mailguard, the email was a simple six lines of text purporting to be from “ccapplications@westpac.com.au” warning customers their account was locked due to “technical issues detected”.

The replica website looks very similar to the legitimate Westpac login page, but the address is the domain of a Tanzanian guesthouse Mailguard believes was compromised in a different attack.

Mailguard chief executive Craig McDonald warned the plain text email was a clear sign of a scam, as it had “no branding or customised information” and starts with a “generic ‘This is to inform you’ message”.

Amazon tops list of most valuable retail brands

Aussie supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths have snuck into WPP’s Brandz 2017 top 20 list of most valuable global retail brands reports Inside Retail, with online retail giant Amazon securing the number one spot.

Woolworths fared slightly better than its competitor at number 18 on the list, while Coles made the cut at spot 20. The list is assessed on a brand’s financial earnings and  “brand value”, with Alibaba, Home Depot, Walmart and Ikea taking the next four spots after Amazon.

This is the first time Coles has featured in the top 20 of the list and is the only newcomer for 2017.

Chemist Warehouse to grandfather penalty rates

Businesses have started to outline how they plan to implement lower Sunday loading rates after the Fair Work Commission revealed the transition arrangements for its decision on wages for retail and hospitality workers.

Chemist Warehouse is one of the first brands to put forward its position on the changes, which will begin being phased-in from July, saying it will grandfather existing arrangements for all current employees, reports Inside Retail.

“At Chemist Warehouse we always endeavour to do the right thing by our staff as we know their commitment, hard work and dedication is critical to our ongoing success,” Chemist Warehouse group director Damian Gance said.

The company is not the only one to put forward its position on the rates changes publicly, with cosmetics business Lush telling SmartCompany earlier this year it does not plan to implement the new loaded rates and instead will stick to the status quo.

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