Email scams attempt to fool innocent computer users out of their
savings
310 people have been arrested in Malaga, Spain as part of an
investigation into a 300 million Euro ($363 million) lottery scam
that attempted to rob innocent internet users out of their
savings.
According to Spanish media reports, the FBI worked alongside
Spanish authorities in what is believed to be the biggest round-up
of so-called 419 or "Nigerian email" scammers.
Officers raided 166 properties, seizing 2000 cell phones, 327
computers, 165 fax machines, and 218,000 Euros ($263,000) in cash.
According to officials, the scam is said to have claimed over
20,000 victims in 45 countries including United States, UK, France,
Germany, Australia and Japan.
"Anyone who has an email account which isn't protected by
anti-spam software will be all too familiar with email scams which
claim they have won fortunes, or offered rewards for anyone
prepared to help move money from far flung countries," said
Graham Cluley,
senior technology consultant for Sophos. "The sad fact is that
these scams are still managing to fool people, and organised
criminal gangs are profiting from the naivety of internet users.
These arrests represent a significant victory for the computer
crime authorities, but the battle is far from over."
Experts at SophosLabs™, Sophos's global
network of virus, spyware and spam analysis centers, have reminded
internet users to be on their guard against email scams, and
recommended businesses protect themselves with a consolidated solution which can defend businesses
from the threats of both spam and viruses; and that users do not
open or reply to unsolicited emails.
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.