Tue, Feb 9, 2010

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Spear phishing isn't a new way of catching fish. It's a new way of catching unwary consumers.

How does it work? The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that customers of a telecommunications firm received an e-mail explaining a problem with their latest order. They were asked to go to the company web site and provide personal information including birthdates and Social Security numbers in order to resolve the problem.

Instead of sending out random e-mails hoping a few victims will bite, this scam uses inside information which may be obtained by hacking into an organizations' computer network. The e-mails sent out by the crooks look like the real thing, and the victims are asked to click on a link inside the e-mail that takes them to a phony but realistic looking web site. Since this scam uses actual customers of a business, it is a dangerous threat.

For more information, click here.

 

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