Security news
Security news16 January 2006
Imprisoned Russian billionaire's fortune offered by 419 scammers
Experts at SophosLabs™, Sophos's global network of virus, spyware and spam analysis centers, have stopped thousands of messages related to an email scam that attempts to fool computer users into thinking they are in line to receive money from a jailed Russian oil tycoon.
The emails, which claim to come from the personal secretary of billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky, offer almost $10 million if the email recipient will assist in the transfer of $46 million of Khodorkovsky's fortune.
Khodorkovsky, who was CEO of Russian oil company Yukos, was arrested at gunpoint at a Siberian airfield in 2003, and is serving an eight year prison sentence on tax and fraud charges.
However, Sophos warns computer users that this is a ruse to steal personal details, and that the fraudsters behind the scam campaign can use such information to steal money from bank accounts and commit identity fraud.
The scam email claims to come from Khodorkovsky's secretary.
"Originally we saw the scammers sending their messages about Khodorkovsky in Russian, but now they spreading their wings and sending their scam emails all around the world in English. The notoriety of the case against the Yukos CEO has made his fame a prime target for exploitation by internet criminals," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Email users should be on their guard not to believe everything they receive via email, and ensure their spam defenses are kept up-to-date."
This email con-trick is the latest of many 419 scams. These scams 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.
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.
Sophos recommends companies automatically update their corporate virus protection, and run a consolidated solution at the email gateway to defend against viruses and spam.
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About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
