Posted by Virus Bulletin on Oct 1, 2006
Six men charged with masterminding a phishing operation.
Six US men have been indicted on charges of masterminding a phishing operation. According to the indictment, the six men used email-harvesting software to obtain AOL members' details from the Internet. Then, between 2004 and earlier this year, the group bombarded the AOL members with messages that used a variety of phishing techniques.
Those customers unfortunate enough to have fallen into the trap of the phishing scams had their financial details stolen and used to purchase merchandise on the Internet including gaming consoles, laptops and gift cards. Later, the phishing gang changed their tactics and began using the stolen information to produce counterfeit debit cards.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison for fraud in connection with access devices and aiding and abetting fraud in connection with access devices; up to 7.5 years in prison for charges of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with access devices; and up to five years in prison for fraud in connection with electronic mail.
Meanwhile, Microsoft is celebrating a successful civil case brought against British spammer Paul Fox. Microsoft's decision to pursue a civil action against the spammer paid dividends, since Fox has been ordered to pay the company £45,000, whereas the UK's anti-spam laws allow for a maximum fine of just £5,000.
Posted on 01 October 2006 by Virus Bulletin
