Security news
Security news4 February 2005
Blackpool man arrested for phishing, Sophos reports
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| The arrested man is suspected of running a phishing campaign from his home near Blackpool. |
British police have arrested a 21-year-old man suspected of running an email phishing scam from his home in Lytham, near Blackpool.
The unnamed man is alleged to have sent bogus emails claiming to be from the Smile online bank, with the intention of directing unsuspecting users to a bogus website where he would steal their banking usernames and passwords.
"Phishing is big business for internet criminals, and there can be few internet users who have not received a phoney email claiming to come from an online bank," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Criminals are attempting to steal bank account information from innocent computer users, pilfering passwords, PIN and credit card numbers from unwary internet surfers."
The National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) has withheld details of how the suspect was tracked down for "operational reasons". Smile, the internet banking arm of The Co-Operative Bank, is said to have reported the phishing campaign to the NHTCU's attention last month.
The man has been bailed, pending further investigations and examination of seized computer equipment by a specialist data forensics team.
Detective Chief Superindent Les Hynds of the NHTCU was reported to say: "The message is clear. Do not do this at home, we will find you. Anybody who thinks that they can copy the scam and get away with it is sorely mistaken."
In April 2004, Lancashire police made what was said to be Britain's first phishing arrest in connection with a scam targetting Smile bank customers.
