In a similar, but more sinister vein, there have been a number of reports recently of more “phising” scams.

“Phising” is when fraudsters send spam e-mail that contains a link to a web address that directs you to their own web-site.  This web-site has been set up to masquerade as a bona fide web-site, usually of a major bank or other financial institution.  It uses the same graphics and looks, to all intents and purposes, like the real thing. 

The e-mail usually states that the receiver’s bank account access information is about to expire and that the relevant details have to be provided again to ensure that access can continue.  The unsuspecting user then fills in an innocuous looking on-line form, providing account number, account name, logon ID and password etc.  This information is then used by the fraudsters to empty that account!

Most internationally recognised banks have been targeted in this way in the past couple of years and most now have ample warnings on their bona fide web-sites, warning customers of these practices.

However, in this new twist, the unsuspecting user does not have to open any attachment or even click on a link within the mail message to direct them to the fake web-site.  Simply opening the e-mail causes a very small computer program called a “script” to run in the background and sabotage the web browser such that when you click on a saved link (favourite), it will direct you to the fake banking site and harvest your bank account details.

To date, three major South American banks have been targeted in this way, and it is anticipated that this will spread to larger international banks very soon.  Beware!