IC3 Cautions about Phishing E-Mails Purportedly from US Government

IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) together with FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) has revealed important details pertaining to the most recent phishing e-mail campaign, presently circulating online while targeting US netizens, Walletpop.com reported on June 2, 2011.

States the IC3 that people who newly made complaints to it reported of e-mails posing as communication from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the US Treasury Department.

Victims said they got fake Treasury Department e-mails stating that their money that was grabbed and channeled into an offshore account opened in their identity were now in safe custody.

There's also an advice in the e-mail telling the recipient for halting all financial dealings, especially those getting conducted overseas, as well as answer the message right away so their stolen sums can be recovered. Furthermore, the e-mail asserts that arrangements from the government of USA are being made for making sure that every beneficiary gets his lost funds.

Additionally, the signature found inside the e-mail seems to be of Deputy Director James H. Freis of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Albeit perpetrators of the e-mail nearly got it right about Freis name, it's really James H. Freis Jr. who's truly the Director of the Network.

Moreover, the e-mails as well direct recipients for giving their Personally Identifiable Information which can be utilized later for identity theft crimes.

And because the above kinds of phishing e-mails are so malicious, IC3 recommends users that they should treat such e-mails with suspicion instead of becoming panicky.

The Center also suggests netizens certain easy tips with which they can stop the said attacks. These are: to remember that to notify clients on sensitive matters like the one within the above instance, the Treasury doesn't ever use telephone calls or e-mails, but uses postal mails. Secondly, people should imbibe the best practice of loading phishing filters.

Eventually, it's because of the above kinds of scam e-mails that the vendor for technology and utilities namely Internet Identity, which assists enterprises safeguard their Internet presence, winds up within its Q1-2011 report that phishing assaults during the period considerably rose 12% in relation to Q1-2010.

Related article: ICC Cup Event Could Be Fodder for Phishers

» SPAMfighter News - 6/11/2011