Hoax E-Mails Pretend To Be From Aussie Banks

Almost every individual with an e-mail account has fallen victim to 'phishing' attack at one time or another. This time the targets were the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and its online banking customers. The bank has issued an alert about a phishing e-mail that attempts attacks on customers subscribed to Australia's largest three banks - ANZ, Westpac and the Commonwealth Banks.

The RBA and the Australian Bankers' Association (ABA) jointly released a warning in the media asking online banking users to be skeptical about e-mails coming from unknown people, and directing recipients to any link.

The hoax e-mail says that the Reserve Bank of Australia, alternatively known as Central Bank of Australia was presently on the job of ensuring safeguard of all banks in Australia. The bank was also working on convenient banking transactions with ANZ Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac Bank.

The phishing e-mail further confirms that the RBA was working securely with ANZ Bank, Westpac Bank and Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The customer could verify this news and also keep safe his account stability with any one of the three banks by confirming his account registration with the Reserve Bank of Australia. The message requests the customer to click the bank link given at the bottom of the e-mail.

The Reserve Bank of Australia informed the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT), which responded by tracking and shutting down three unauthorized websites, which sent the hoax e-mails. These websites were based in France, Germany and the United States, respectively. AusCERT had also identified a fourth website, which would also be shut down without the owner ever knowing that somebody made an intrusion to his site. It could possibly be a home connection where if the software is installed it becomes a web server.

According to Paul Ducklin, head of technology in APAC (Asia Pacific) for Sophos, this particular e-mail may not succeed in tricking many people. This is because some of them may not believe if the e-mail came form their individual banks but would trust it if it came from a higher authority.

Related article: Hack.Huigezi Virus Attacks China PCs Rapidly

» SPAMfighter News - 12/26/2006