Phishing E-mails Circulating Worldwide

Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting Internet users with phony scam e-mails. This fact confirms from recent two examples in which hackers sent fake e-mails to target innocent online users.

The first incident took place in Stellarton (Nova Scotia, Canada) where Edward LeBlanc (a resident) had found an e-mail in his inbox, informing him that his account would expire if he didn't send reply, as reported by ngnews in the third week of October 2009.

The e-mail was shrewdly crafted to look legitimate as a result LeBlanc followed the instructions given in it. He sent his passwords as asked in the instructions. Consequently, all people listed in LeBlanc address book started getting e-mails from him, requesting for $1,500 to help him as he was stranded in England.

The e-mail stated that he would return the borrowed money and transfer as soon as he would be home, as reported by ngnews on October 16, 2009.

It also told the procedure of money sending by Western Union Money Transfer or Money Gram at the address given below.

However, LeBlanc was safely at his home in Stellarton. He was completely shocked seeing the e-mail in his wife's inbox and after receiving calls from friends willing to send him money.

Moreover, LeBlanc could not even send e-mail to his contacts because spammers had locked his access to the account. His situation became worst when Yahoo denied helping him because he had failed to prove his identity.

The second incidents happened in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines, where a businessman received the scam e-mail.

Crispin Chua (the businessman) said on October 20, 2009 that a hacker had broken into his e-mail account urfriendlyghost@yahoo.com, and forwarded e-mail to his known ones, saying that Chua had urgently gone to London where thieves robbed him, as reported by newsinfo.inquirer on October 21, 2009.

The e-mail sender asked people to send the money by Western Union.

Crispin Chua came to know about the scam when he received calls from his friends residing overseas.

Both the victims asked their known ones (friends and family members) to restrain from replying to the scam e-mails and advised them to be careful.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 11/3/2009