Two men from Tucson, Arizona, have been arrested in connection
with sending spam phishing emails pretending to come from online
banks, credit card theft and fraud.
The men, 24-year-old Robbin Shea Brown and 19-year-old Joshua T.
Breshears, are accused of having supported their expensive
lifestyle by sending out emails asking recipients to confirm their
credit card details.
According to police, the men coded blank credit cards with the
information they had stolen and used them at automated-teller
machines.
During a police search of the men's premises, officers found
expensive furniture, artwork, plasma TVs and even a new stainless
steel refrigerator with a built-in television. Half a dozen
computers were also found, according to police reports, as well as
devices to imprint data on the magnetic strips used on credit
cards,
"Phishing can generate large profits for the criminals who
mastermind the schemes, and all the signs indicate that the problem
is growing," said Graham Cluley, senior
technology consultant for Sophos. "Everyone needs to take care to
secure their computer and to exercise caution about with whom they
exchange sensitive data, such as their credit card numbers."
Police authorities in Tucson are now working closely with the
Secret Service to determine if others, potentially overseas, could
be involved in the scheme.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.