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Identity fraudsters get more sophisticated
Added: (Tue Oct 04 2005)
FRAUD ALERT – LOTTERY SCAM USES PERSONAL DETAILS TO INCREASE CREDIBILITY
5 October 2005 Embargo: none, for immediate release
IDENTITY theft criminals are becoming more sophisticated in the way they target their potential victims, warn identity theft experts at checkmyfile.com.
Latest in the raft of ‘phishing’ emails now bombarding the general public is a personalised email alerting users to a potential £4 million Australian Lotto win.
Potential victims are told that if they wish to get their hands on this fortune, they must first fax a list of personal details to a 0800 number.
“What is new about this scam is the heavy personalisation of the email including the full names, postal address and telephone number of the recipient. In addition, the scammers provide a 0800 number for further personal details to be faxed, all adding credibility,” said Mr Stamp.
checkmyfile.com believes that the fraudsters have obtained personal details, from a database which can be searched for free on the internet. “There are many which freely publish personal details, including some Government websites” added Mr Stamp.
Mr Stamp, author of ‘Identity Theft – Prevention and Victim Assistance’ and Joint Managing Director of checkmyfile.com adds: “Armed with this level of detail, identity theft is unlikely, but anybody tempted to reply will provide more than enough additional detail to enable the fraudster to make a successful impersonation attempt. We believe the modus operandi is that responders will be contacted and asked for copy passports or driving licences, allegedly to ‘authenticate’ themselves, and will probably be asked to pay over a substantial processing fee.
There are many examples of lottery type frauds operating in Australia, the US and South Africa and the latest phishing emails reflect increasing levels of sophistication which may dupe some consumers.
Among the warning signs contained with the phishing email were the use of a Yahoo email address; a claim that the lottery authorities have failed to trace the winner, yet the sender has done so using a ‘national directory,’ which doesn’t exist; and, of course, virtually all UK respondents will never have entered the Australian Lotto.
“These email scams are similar to the infamous West African ‘419 scams’ which pretend to require help to bring money ought of Africa. Many people have been and still are duped into handing over their bank account details and an ‘advance fee’. “Whenever any advance fee is sought” says Stamp, “alarm bells should ring immediately.”.
“Anybody falling victim to this type of scam could well lose thousands of pounds, or find someone else is travelling on a passport in their name and maybe even committing serious crimes in their good name,” he said.
TIPS:
1. NEVER respond to any suspicious emails such as those claiming you have won a large fortune in a foreign lottery you haven’t even entered.
2. NEVER pay any advance fee to anyone you don’t know well and trust unconditionally.
3. Never give personal or financial information by fax or email, email is not a secure method of communication. Reputable companies would never ask you to do this.
4. If you have received this type of email the criminals already have your email address. Think about changing it, and be careful when giving your new email address to anyone.
Note to editors:
Launched in 2000, checkmyfile.com is the UK’s first Internet based credit reference agency, aimed firmly at serving consumers. checkmyfile.com is fully independent and was the first in the UK to provide consumers with online access to their credit files, to offer consumers the ability to check their own credit score for free and to give plain English explanations of how credit scoring works. With over 1.1m registered customers and visited by over 20,000 unique new visitors every day, checkmyfile.com is ranked within the World’s top 50,000 websites.
For further press information please contact: Richard Goedegebuur at checkmyfile.com on 0207 193 6021 or email: richard.goedegebuur@checkmyfile.com
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Credit Reporting Agency Limited – Registered Office 13 High Cross Truro Cornwall TR1 2AJ
Registered in England no 3719598