Phishers Dodging Brits into Fake Recession Relief Fund

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), UK, has cautioned the British citizens of a phishing scam targeting them in its name, as reported by SCMAGAZINE on April 7, 2009.

This latest phishing e-mail themed at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is having the tag line "Global economic crisis relief aid". It purports to be coming from the Foreign Secretary David Miliband. According to news reports, the fraud e-mail asks recipients for their personal information in order to get benefited from a conjured economic recession fund.

Separating itself from this e-mail, FCO declared it as a phishing scam. It also informed users that if they received such e-mails, they could report it to the fraud crime office of the area. They could also visit the official website of Metropolitan Police for further details: www.met.police.uk/fraudalert.

Moreover, FCO suggested users to avoid responding to such e-mails. Rather, it's better not to reveal any personal information until and unless the authenticity of the e-mail is sure to the recipient.

Trend Micro's Senior Security Advisor, Rik Ferguson, also issued an alert about the FCO phishing scam. He claimed that this latest phishing scam resembles the scam called "Obama Stimulus Check" that made its way out in January 2009. It is offering the victims of global financial recession an opportunity to gain advantage of a fraud "Recession Relief Program Fund".

As per security experts, the time of releasing the FCO-themed phishing e-mail has been selected very aptly, keeping in view the announcement of stimulus aid made by the government leaders at the recently concluded G20 Summit.

Eventually, Ferguson said that a typical phishing e-mail asks recipients for personal information so as to gain benefit from a bogus scheme. Thus, he asked to treat all e-mails, especially unsolicited, as suspicious, as reported by SCMAGAZINE on April 7, 2009.

Meanwhile, FCO has told that currently, the Home Office is taking the assistance of Police. The Office also informed that it has also taken various measures to deal rising Internet frauds. It has also asked users to login to its website www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/internet-crime to get further details.

Related article: Phishers Expand Their Sphere of Attacks

» SPAMfighter News - 4/10/2009