Ministry Cautions About Quake-Themed Phishing E-mail

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs in Christchurch (New Zealand) is urging people to watch out for a phishing scam that's capitalizing on the Christchurch earthquake to exploit unsuspecting New Zealanders, so published Voxy.co.nz in news on February 23, 2011.

Stated the Ministry that Scamwatch and Netsafe its cyber-safety watchdogs had got complaints about scammers attempting at harvesting bank account details off well-intentioned New Zealanders. The National Business Review reported this on February 23, 2011.

States Scamwatch, it has already got complaints about e-mails that James McCoy dispatched asserting that he's a representative of "Donate4Charity NZ." Hawke's Bay Today published this on February 23, 2011. Actually, while utilizing a legal UK-based donation company's name as also its URL address, the scam suggests New Zealanders for accepting foreign charities to help victims of Christchurch quake.

Reportedly, according to the e-mail, people could do well for allowing charitable funds from abroad to be deposited inside their accounts in banks for which they'll get a 10% commission. But, states the Ministry, this is simply an instance of fraud, therefore anybody getting this kind of e-mail mustn't answer it rather inform Scamwatch about it before erasing it completely. Stuff.co.nz reported this on February 23, 2011.

Surprisingly, the call-center of the Ministry had its office in Christchurch that since the quake has been emptied. However, regarding the fraudulent phishing e-mails, the Ministry suggests they're a scam because they're from the hotmail.com type generic addresses, are incorrectly spelt alternatively promise commissions.

Meanwhile, the Ministry conducted a survey during 2010 in which it discovered that 78% of New Zealanders routinely discarded utility bills, application forms, expired debit/credit cards or bank statements while not tearing them off properly.

The survey also discovered that 75% of New Zealanders worried of ID fraud, while 36% thought they might be victimized with ID theft.

Nevertheless, the Ministry recommended people that they must find out more about the previously-unheard charities that e-mailed them as well as be cautious of organizations which purported to be as the lawful charity 'Oxfan.' Besides, the Charities Register online site could be visited for checking charities. Hawke's Bay Today reported this.

Related article: Minnesota To Make Amendments in its Cybercrime Laws

» SPAMfighter News - 3/2/2011