FBI arrests dozens for 'phishing' ID scheme (Operation Phish Phry)

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC/AP

LOS ANGELES - The FBI is arresting dozens of people in the United States and overseas to crack an identity theft ring that victimized thousands of people.

Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles, says agents are making arrests Wednesday morning in Southern California, Nevada, North Carolina and overseas.

She says about 100 arrests are expected, many in the Los Angeles area.

Eimiller says an indictment accuses the suspects of running a "phishing" scheme. They allegedly used computer intrusion and fraud to obtain personal information that allowed them to withdraw money from bank accounts.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33209985/ns/technology_and_science-security/

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Good! Go FBI! Good name - Operation Phish Phry.

The investigation has led to the indictment of the largest number of defendants ever charged in a cyber crime case, according to the FBI in Los Angeles.

The ring used a sophisticated phishing scheme - where people are lured into revealing their details on fake websites - to obtain personal information from thousands of people and defraud American banks, the FBI statement said.

Police in the US arrested 33 of 53 suspects named in Operation Phish Phry on Wednesday morning, with several more currently being sought.

The authorities in Egypt have charged 47 people in connection with the scheme, the statement added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8295945.stm

[drm604]

1. People need to be educated about phishing.

I get a lot of these damned phishing emails. I forward them to the abuse department of whatever company they're pretending to be from and then I delete them.

It's simple. If you get an email asking you to enter you ID and password, IT IS A SCAM. DON'T DO IT.

If you're unsure, call the bank or whatever it is and ask them. Call the usual number, do not call any numbers from the email.

This morning I got something new which I hope doesn't become a trend. I received a cellphone text message telling me that my Mastercard debit card had been suspended and that I needed to call an 877 number to get it reactivated. I don't have a Mastercard debit card but I do have an MC credit card so I called their customer service number (NOT the number in the text message) to be absolutely sure and also to report the scam.

They assured me that my account was fine. I offered the information from the text message so that they could investigate it and, get this, they did not want the info! They just repeated that if I receive such messages I should contact customer service.

They didn't want to investigate this? :wtf:

[skoalyman]

3. Oh I hate that I usualy do the same another thing is to whois the link

and notify the site manager and give them the link

[peacetalksforall]

2. 100 from one ring down. How many more rings are there?