Security news24 November 2008
Phishing gangs exploit UK government tax breaks Emails offer 'family maintenance', but instead harvest personal information
IT security and control firm Sophos is reminding email users to be vigilant following the discovery of a phishing campaign that seeks to capitalise on news that the UK Chancellor is expected to introduce pre-budget tax cuts.
Samples intercepted by SophosLabs claim to come from 'UK Government & Ministry of Finance' and offer to return tax to 'every man aged between 30 and 55 years'. Unsuspecting users who wish to take advantage of the offer of £450 - 650 for 'family maintenance' are directed to a webpage that asks for information, such as age, marital status and number of children, which could then be used by fraudsters to build identity profiles.
"At a time when many people will be uncertain about their finances and job security, cybercriminals have clearly been quick to take advantage of the situation," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "As the Government is expected to make announcements relating to recession-busting tax cuts, those eager for the bigger picture should monitor official channels and ignore any unsolicited emails asking for personal details. This campaign, coming in the run-up to Christmas, also takes advantage of the trend for special-offers and vouchers to be circulated via email - computer users should do their best to stay mindful of the risks."
Sophos recommends that all computer users exercise caution when opening unsolicited emails, and ensure they are fully defending against attacks, including spam, phishing and malware.
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About Sophos
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.
