Phishing warnings

We are currently not aware of any phishing campaigns related to HostOn. That does not rule out fakes – always be careful with unexpected payment requests.

Have you received a suspicious email in the name of HostOn that is not listed here? Forward it to phishing@hoston.ch.

In phishing (“password fishing”), fraudsters use fake emails, text messages, calls or websites to obtain passwords, credit card details or money. They often pose as well-known companies – such as a hosting provider, domain registrar, bank or postal service – and put their victims under time pressure.

Typical pretexts aimed at hosting customers are a domain that is supposedly about to expire, a blocked mailbox, a failed payment or a “security problem” that supposedly has to be fixed immediately.

If in doubt, do not click the link in the email; open my.hoston.ch yourself in your browser instead. Anything not shown there did not come from us.

• Unfamiliar sender domainThe display name reads “HostOn”, but the address behind it is e.g. @hoston-billing.com or @gmail.com.
• Extreme time pressure“Within 24 hours”, “final warning”, “your data will be deleted”.
• Suspicious linksHover over the link with your mouse: if it does not lead to hoston.ch, it is a fake. Watch out for typos such as h0ston.ch or hoston-ch.com.
• Different amountsThe amount in the email or on the payment page does not match your invoice in the client area.
• Unexpected attachmentsDo not open ZIP, HTML or Office files you were not expecting.
• Impersonal and full of errors“Dear customer”, spelling mistakes, mixed languages, unusual sending time.

The following examples are reconstructed and show typical patterns that hosting providers encounter again and again.

1. 1Do not respondDo not click links, open attachments, reply or pay anything.
2. 2Check in the client areaOpen my.hoston.ch yourself and check whether there is an unpaid invoice or a notification there.
3. 3Report itForward the email as an attachment to phishing@hoston.ch. This helps us warn other customers.
4. 4Delete itYou can then delete the email.

1. 1Change passwords immediatelyChange the password for the affected login (client area, cPanel, mailbox) and everywhere else you use the same password.
2. 2Inform your bank or card issuerIf you entered credit card or bank details, have the card blocked immediately.
3. 3Contact usWrite to support@hoston.ch. We will check your account for suspicious logins, forwarding rules and outgoing mail, and help you secure it.
4. 4Check your deviceIf you opened an attachment, scan your device with up-to-date antivirus software.
5. 5File a police reportIf you have suffered financial loss, report it to the police.

• Use a separate, long password for each login – ideally with a password manager. Our Password generator can help.
• Enable two-factor authentication wherever it is offered.
• Keep WordPress, plugins and themes up to date – outdated software is the most common way fake pages end up on other people’s servers.
• Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your own domain so that fraudsters cannot send emails in your name.

• Fakes in the name of HostOnForward to phishing@hoston.ch – during large campaigns we cannot reply to every report individually, but we thank you all the same.
• Phishing page hosted with usReport it to abuse@hoston.ch with the exact URL. We block such pages promptly.
• All other phishing attemptsReport to the Federal Office for Cybersecurity (NCSC) via www.antiphishing.ch
• More on internet securityTips and guides: www.ibarry.ch and www.skppsc.ch