Financial Phishing Scams Target American Samoans

ASDHS (American Samoa's Department of Homeland Security) has been informed that local residents are being targeted by a new phishing scam that is utilizing a London address to obtain money. The name given to this popular scam is 'London scam'.

Moreover, the phishers are employing a new modus operandi to target victims wherein a stranger infiltrates the e-mail account of a user and utilizes the hacked account to distribute e-mails to all addresses on the contact list of the victim requesting for monetary assistance, said investigators of the incident.

Further, the e-mail tells the recipient that the sender is stranded in London following the theft of his wallet and so he needs financial help. The money should be wired to him at a specific London address through Western Union.

Evidently, the address that phishers most popularly use in this fraud is 199 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4RY.

While the aforementioned phishing message is being circulated across users' inboxes, officials at ASDHS report that another phishing message is also making rounds apparently from head of the FBI, Robert S. Mueller III.

This fraudulent message says that an investigation has found the recipient being involved in a transaction illegally conducted with fraud companies. Thus, the e-mail blackmails the recipient to transmit a specified sum of money to avoid any action against him.

Security specialists said that the current phishing scams represented some latest types of financial phishing frauds that have come to the notice of investigating authorities over the last few months.

Commenting on them, Mike Sala, Director of ASDHS, said there was a staggering volume of e-mails dispatched daily to both unsuspecting and suspecting users, as reported by samoannewsonline on February 12, 2009.

Finally, according to the reports, ASDHS has released an alert to caution local residents against falling victim to the new phishing scams. Additionally, Mr. Sala while warning people not to be victimized with the recent scam e-mails advised that anyone having doubts of what needs to be done next should contact the Department's office at 633-2827.

Related article: Finjan Brings Out Report on Web Malware

» SPAMfighter News - 3/3/2009