Phishing Scam Compromised 20,000 Financial Accounts

Six people (1 woman and 5 men) in the age group 25-40 years are under police custody for allegedly launching a phishing campaign. States police, the alleged culprits had compromised numerous credit card and bank account credentials. BBC News published this on August 4, 2010. Reportedly all the detentions were done inside Navan, County Meath, Ireland, and London.

Actually investigators have been probing into a gang's activities which apparently employed spam mails and fake websites to acquire credit card details and online passwords. The gang understandably compromised 10,000 credit cards and 10,000 bank accounts, investigators stated.

For their alleged scamming operation, the gangsters dispatched innumerable uninvited junk e-mails that took victims onto impersonated websites posing as genuine Internet banking sites.

On reaching those websites, victims were enticed into supplying personal information as also their passwords for online banking. The scammers then used that information to access the bank accounts of victims for illegal fund transfers. They similarly acquired and exploited credit card information.

And while it wasn't clear as to what sum was precisely withdrawn from payment card accounts, according to an estimate, over 3m pounds is assumed as withdrawn from 10,000 accounts. But, this figure may increase as the probe advances.

Remarking about the problem, Colin Wetherill Detective Inspector from the e-crime unit of Scotland Yard stated that Internet scam was getting to be a larger problem therefore it was important that the unit kept on ruining the perpetrators. In general everyone had a role to play. That implied the public too which required being extra watchful, Wetherill contended. Metro.co.uk published this on August 4, 2010.

The Inspector added that with the e-crime unit successfully thwarting the operation, it hoped that future loss to institutions and individuals were prevented across the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile according to the security researchers, Internet users must exercise caution while providing personal information. Further, they must be wary about the continuing fraudulent schemes, which could lead to theft of their money or private information.

Additionally, police authorities stated that in case anyone thought that his account was infiltrated then he should contact the police and his bank.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 8/13/2010