Email scams attempt to trick computer users into making unwise
investments
Sophos, a world leader in IT security and control, has reminded
computer users of the danger of internet scams following the arrest
of six men alleged to have defrauded their victim out of AU $1.76
million (US $1.5 million) through email.
According to media reports,
Dutch police have arrested six men in connection with extorting
money from a 49-year-old Australian man after offering, via email,
a business contract worth US $90 million. Five of the men arrested
are said to come from West Africa, with two of them originating
from Nigeria, home of many similar scams in the past.
These email con-tricks, known as a 419 scam, are named after the
relevant section of the Nigerian penal code where many of the scams
originated and are unsolicited emails where the author offers a
large amount of money. Once a victim has been drawn in, requests
are made from the fraudster for private information which may lead
to requests for money, stolen identities, and financial theft.
"Police in The Netherlands have been particularly active in
tracking down the perpetrators of 419 scams, and there have been a
number of arrests in the last year or so," said Graham Cluley, senior
technology consultant for Sophos. "What may stagger the average man
in the street is just how much money can be made by the criminal
gangs behind these international con-tricks. The sad fact is that
there are people who fall too easily for these scams, and many
would probably never report their mistake to the authorities."
Other examples of 419 email scams include a message claiming to
come from a persecuted widow of the late Nigerian head of state, an
associate of the massacred Nepalese royal family, and even an
African astronaut stranded on the Mir spacestation.
Earlier this year Sophos reported how a former treasurer of
Alcona County, Michigan, had been arrested
after allegedly investing more than $1.2 million of county funds in
Nigerian fraud scams.
Last month, Sophos published
its Security Threat Report July 2007, examining the latest trends
in spam, malware and hacking. Included in the report are details of
some of the more notable arrests made by the cybercrime-fighting
authorities since the beginning of the year.
Sophos recommends companies protect their desktops, servers and
gateways with a consolidated solution to
thwart the threats of viruses, spyware, phishing, hackers and
spam.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.