Countrywide Bank Faces Spam Attack Trying to Phish Customers’ Details

An organized gang of cyber-criminals is thought to be behind the distribution of a spam mail targeting customers of Countrywide Bank on October 30, 2008, said security researchers, as reported by MACHOUSE VIDEO TUTORIALS on October 30, 2008.

The spam message, according to the researchers, shows a title - "Read carefully -Important Customer Information", while its main text urges the recipient to provide his/her up-to-date account details in view of near expiry of his/her account with the bank.

Further, at the end of the text, the e-mail displays a link for the recipient that takes him/her to a form for the account update. However, anyone, who clicks on this link, is possibly be taken to a spoofed Website i.e. a phishing site.

Moreover, the connection is pretty congested, as after a short while, the recipient would see a part of the Countrywide Bank Website. Security specialists said that this incomplete phishing Website transforms into a semi porn directory at the last moment of the user's attempt to access the URL. The caption of the diverted Website is displayed as fuck-album.com.

Security analysts also stated that they were able to track the phishing Website's original IP address. Also, the Web server that hosts the incomplete phishing site was tracked down to the IP address of 123.134.66.8, which, security experts believe, is based in Beijing, China.

Meanwhile, Countrywide Bank on its part issued a security warning to its consumers, telling them that in case they receive a similar e-mail, they must delete it and refrain from replying to it. They must also not click on the given link, but report the case to Countrywide right away, the bank wrote in its security alert e-mail.

The alert e-mail further warns that by viewing or opening the spam mail, purportedly came from Countrywide Bank, or by trying to open the embedded link, there are possibilities that the consumer might download a spyware or virus on his computer. The e-mail also suggests to bank consumers that if they doubt any e-mail as fraudulent, they should forward it to FraudWatch International.

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» SPAMfighter News - 11/13/2008