FBI Caution Users on E-mail Scams

The FBI issued a warning to the public against an e-mail which alleges that a complaint has been reported against that particular user or his company with a govt. agency, as reported by SCTIMES.COM on February 3, 2008.

The e-mails said that complaints are filed with the government departments like Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice, Better Business Bureau or the Social Security Administration. The e-mails are sent to users by their names and look legit, saying that they are from above departments. The e-mails sometimes are included with personal information about the user as well.

The fake e-mails further claim that they are to be dealt on an urgent basis and instruct the user to click on the link given in it. It says to open the attachment connected with the mail, or directs the user to initiate a telephonic call. As per the federal authorities, the e-mails claim that attachments are contained with the complaint lodged by the government authorities. But in reality, the attachment along with the mail carries virus software which has the capability to steal the password of the recipient when accessed.

The virus software is wrapped inside a screensaver and hence, the antivirus cannot detect the malicious nature of the mail. As soon as the virus gets downloaded onto a system, it starts monitoring and recording username and passwords that are entered into the system. It also records other activities that are related to other password-type information.

Assistant Director of FBI's Cyber Division, James E. Finch, said in a statement that the FBI unearth information on hacking and cyber attacks through investigations and share it with its partners like DHS (Department of Homeland Security) so that they can alert both public and business people about the scams, as reported by LawFuel on February 1, 2008. Information gleaned during FBI investigation has already been given to the DHS.

The federal authorities warned residents about the mails sent by unknown person(s) or the mails they feel suspicious about. Federal authorities have further told them not to open unsolicited e-mails and not to click any link embedded in them.

Related article: FBI’s ICCC Annual Report Discusses Fraudulent and Non-Fraudulent Complaints

» SPAMfighter News - 2/16/2008