Financial worries a jackpot for scams
By JON SWARTZ
USA Today
SAN FRANCISCO — The rippling financial crisis has sent consumers scurrying to the Internet for answers and advice. Online fraudsters are right behind, devising ways to steal personal information.
Cybercrooks, spammers and phishers are creating fake Web sites, spam, phishing attacks and malicious software code to take advantage of anxiety during the economic calamity. Like other extraordinary news events, the situation has heightened fears and made people desperate for information, say computer-security experts.
"It's a new spin on old tactics," says Andre Gold, former head of information security and risk management at ING.
One such scam is a communication that purports to come from Chase. It asks customers to go to a supposed Chase Web site, which is fake, and provide personal information, such as user ID, password, name, address, phone number and Chase credit card number.
Phishing attacks on Citigroup customers soared shortly after it announced its intention last month to acquire struggling Wachovia, according to Internet researcher Netcraft.
Citigroup and Wachovia customers are among the targets, says Ori Eisen, chief innovation officer at The 41st Parameter, an anti-online-fraud vendor and former anti-fraud director at American Express.
"People's life savings are at risk," says Andy Klein, an e-mail expert at security vendor SonicWall. "Many are especially antsy because they haven't heard from their merged banks yet."
Financial institutions such as Bank of America post advisories on their Web sites about suspicious e-mail and other online fraud. WaMu's Web site has a big banner with information on its merger with Chase.
