Spoofed FBI E-mail Tricks Recipients into Surrendering Personal Information

The most recent fraudulent e-mail under a 419 scam poses as a message from Timothy P. Murphy, Executive Deputy Director of FBI blaming recipients of conducting huge illegitimate transactions, published softpedia dated January 16, 2012.

Displaying a long and admonishing header, "You are on the FBI wanted persons list. Reply now to clear your name," the phishing electronic mail tells the recipient for answering on tm.specialunits@gmail.com, while cautions that his huge deals related to illicit lottery prizes as also bank transfers have caught the agency of law enforcement's attention.

It (e-mail) further states that being a Federal Commission, the agency bears the responsibility of safeguarding citizens' interest, no matter if they're or aren't citizens of USA. It then explains that the recipient is being contacted as his name along with more private particulars were discovered as being with an Internet fraudsters' gang long wanted which said that he was their business associate.

Additionally according to the e-mail, the recipient has involved himself with such numerous illegal operations like illegitimate dealings related to fake lottery prizes, illicit diplomatic consignments, bank transfers as well as several others that he has with or without knowledge drawn plentiful charges against himself. Thus, he requires acting speedily towards rectifying the situation else he'll find himself arrested and sent to jail. The message isn't an attempt to frighten him though it's telling him how things stand while there wouldn't ever be any compromise of the law, the e-mail concludes.

Notably, the e-mail solicits sensitive info like credit card particulars along with more data most likely towards enabling the criminals to access the recipient's personal accounts.

However, security researchers state that there won't be any arrest whether or not the recipient replies to the e-mail. For, the e-mail represents a version of "advance fee scam" that deceives end-users into transferring personal information or cash to cyber-crooks.

The researchers further explain that the current type of 'advance fee scam' reportedly targets people who've been victimized previously with these scams, as such victims maybe increasingly biased towards trusting that the FBI had truly found their names as well as other details in fraudsters' collection.

Related article: September Suffers Sky-high phishing & Virus Attacks

» SPAMfighter News - 1/23/2012