Are scam emails based around political personalities the latest craze?
Just a month or so after scammers used Jack Straw‘s name in one of their attempted cons they have now elected to use that of David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, leading to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office issuing a warning over the phishing scam.
According to Rik Ferguson, a senior security advisor with Trend Micro, the phishing scam is similar to the ‘Obama Stimulus Check’ scam that Americans have been receiving since January this year, offering bogus benefits to those who have been hit by the global economic slowdown via a ‘Recession Relief Programme Fund’.
A warning by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office read -
‘The email asks recipients for their personal details so that they can receive funds from a fictitious recession relief programme fund.
This email is a scam.
If you receive this email please report it to your local fraud crime office or visit the Metropolitan Police website for further information.’
Rik Ferguson said -
‘In standard phishing form, the emails ask recipients for personal details in order to benefit from the fictitious scheme.
Once again, treat all unsolicited (and most solicited) mail as suspicious.’
Rik’s advice, of course, is solid and you should always be extremely wary of parting with any kind of personal information on the internet or through email communication.
Share this post: Tweet It | Facebook It | Stumble It | Digg It | Delicious It