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Scammers Utilize Leaked Mailing ids from Stratfor for ‘Phishing’ Customers

CEO George Friedman of Stratfor cautioned customers who had their e-mail ids exposed on the Net that a fraudulent, phishing e-mail was circulating while trying to steal confidential client database, published DAILY CALLER on January 6, 2012.

Claiming as a declaration by Friedman, the fake e-mail refers to updated services of Stratfor such as making obtainable the company's premium content at zero cost as availability of the services had become inconvenient.

The e-mail, apparently having the sender's address as George.friedman@stratfor.com, tells recipients that Stratfor is continuously working towards making its website secure as well as re-operational at the earliest. The company, in appreciation of its customers' constant support, has decided to provide its premium content like one non-chargeable service henceforth. It also wishes to have the opinion of its clients regarding the way Stratfor dealt with the security breach lately by a maddened group of hackers of extremist mindset via completing a given form as well as sending it back at the e-mail id, the message concludes.

Yet, according to Sophos, the e-mail indicates certain signs demonstrating its mischievous or scam nature.

Moreover according to Friedman, as Stratfor was handling the issues associated with the hack into its data systems, it was notified about misleading and fake messages which had been circulating lately. DAILY CALLER published this.

And with Stratfor, during 2011, losing a massive number of electronic mail ids it has resulted in attackers knowing almost the entire list of the ids.

Naturally, people become additionally susceptible such that even a single carelessness towards trusting the e-mail as being from Stratfor, Walmart, Sony, Marriott Rewards, or any bank may lead to loss of their private details.

Meanwhile, security specialists stated that the assault executed during the vacations happened to be under "Operation LulzXmas" wherein an entire week was spent for hacking in a planned manner against global finance, government and military computers.

Furthermore, the Stratfor assault was one sophisticated assault by political activists called hacktivists, and it was the latest. Those criminals utilized PC-hacking for attaining their objective like showing solidarity with the new "Occupy Wall Street" endeavor, the specialists concluded.

Related article: Scammers Exploit Tax System Resulting in ID Theft

» SPAMfighter News - 1/14/2012

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