A Gmail password has appeared alongside Hotmail account details on website.
Google has confirmed that its service has been under attack by an industry-wide phishing idea. A representative for the internet giant told BBC News that the affected accounts had their passwords change around.
We will maintain to force password resets on additional accounts when we become aware of them, they added.
The scam, in which the passwords to over 30,000 email records were reportedly posted to a website, was initially only thought to have affected Hotmail. However, the BBC has seen lists said to also include Yahoo and AOL addresses.
All the account details regarding the issues have now been removed from the site.Phishing scams involve using false websites, such as email or online banking services, to trick people into logging in and disclosing personal details.
It’s a sad fact of life that the Internet has had one major pessimistic force on our lives – giving fraudsters and scammers new ways to attempt and trick us out of money. The Nigerian scam, or 419 frauds, has been spring through email for years, but it’s now come to social network sites as well, particularly Facebook. In fact, it’s become such a regular event that the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) has issued a forewarning.
The Nigerian or 419 scam can take many forms and make use of any of a number of expansive devices. Be it from a phone call telling you you’ve won a prize and that you need to hand over your bank details for a “giving out fee” or an email from someone claiming to be an associate of a king in an African country who requirements a bank account to transfer millions of dollars in to, they all come under this umbrella.
Social networks such as MySpace and Facebook offer fraudsters a new method of misleading someone. Information of how this scam was carried out surfaced in January with the release of a copy of one attempt at the 419 scam. The fraudster hijacks Facebook information like accounts and then makes use of those details to contact the victim’s friends claiming they are in trouble and in need of money immediately.
People are more expected to be taken in by this use of the tried and experienced scam because they think they’re helping a friend rather than some Nigerian businessman. Because although the huge majority of us have learned quickly the dangers of the Web, when it’s a friend in trouble, the usual checks and balances can go out of the window.
Recently there has been an increase in this type of scam on social networking sites. In August, Facebook published the record of one on its blog. And things are now so bad that the FBI has issued a press release forewarning people how to protect them from being caught out by this particular scam.
The best advice is to be careful about what information you share and who you befriend. Beyond that, it’s a case of asking manually whether what someone is telling you are actually likely to be true. It all comes down to totaling a layer of common sense to everything you do online because if it looks dishonest it probably is.
A new type of scam has emerged where small items like mobile phones or some money are pushed into the pockets of unwary persons who are then accused of theft.
The deliberations also pointed out that KL International Airport (KLIA) was a major sight of the crime. The authorities however have deprived of the existence of such crimes in KLIA.
According to Daily Chilli , The Star’s new online entry, a person who is responsible would slip a mobile phone or wallet with a few ringgits into the victim’s pocket. The doer would later accuse the victim of stealing.
Another person would then show up and claim to have seen the victim commit the crime. The cheats would then pull the victim aside to discuss a payment. The victim would pay up to avoid a commotion or police participation.
There were even stories of victims languishing in jails as the perpetrators managed to convince the police to arrest the innocent travellers.The people who are usual targeted are said to be those from the West or Middle East.
The scam is also discussed in several online forums and there are both believers and sceptics.The authorities however have denied the existence of such crimes. Home Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Mahmud Adam said he had yet to hear of such a scam.
A Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad spokesperson said there were no cases of push pocket reported at both the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) and the KLIA in recent years. The airports make public announcement to inform travellers not to leave their luggage unattended.
Push pocket is being seen as Malaysia’s version of Thailand’s Zigzag scheme.
Online criminals are making millions of pounds by forceful computer users to download fake anti-virus software, internet security experts argue.
Symantec says more than 40 million people have fallen prey to the "scareware" scam in the past 12 months.
The download is usually risky and criminals can sometimes use it to get the victim’s credit card details.
The firm has acknowledged 250 versions of scareware, and criminals have idea to earn more than £750,000 each a year.
Franchised out
Scareware sellers use pop-up adverts intentionally designed to look valid, for example, using the same typefaces as Microsoft and other well-known software providers.
They often appears when the user is switching between websites, and falsely warn that a computer’s security has been compromised.
If the user then click on the message they are pointed towards another site where they can download the fake anti-virus software they apparently need to clean up their computer - for a fee of up to £60.
