Online Scammers Fox Brits via Fake E-mails

According to OFT, i.e. the Office of Fair Trading, nearly 10% of the Brits - over 4 Million- across U.K report that they have sometime or the other sent reply e-mails to online phishing scams, as reported by BBC News on February 1, 2010.

OFT stated that the consumers are receiving fake e-mails, targeted on social-networking websites, or being communicated through other modes in which the cyber crooks attempted to deceive them into parting with their money.

According to the Office, cyber thieves in one particular strategy to fool unwitting people, pretend to be a representative of HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs), dispatched unsolicited e-mails to the patrons.

Additionally, scammers also tried to trick susceptible individuals off their savings, instead promising them get-rich-quick schemes via scam e-mails.

As revealed by a recent OFT survey, currently, the most method used to execute online scams is the e-mail. During 2009, as many as 73% of adults reported that they had been hit with an e-mail scam. The survey further revealed that nearly 50% of the victimized adult population was cheated of over £50, whereas 5% was ripped off of more than £5,000.

In the meantime, the OFT published its survey results while observing a Scams Awareness Month. Also, the survey follows with HMRC's announcement that no less than 20,000 fraudulent e-mails reached taxpayers' inboxes during the end-week of January 2010, stating that they were entitled for certain tax discount. The body, however, cautioned everyone against responding to the e-mails, as their accounts could be robbed, credit cards utilized illegitimately, or their private data sold to other cyber crooks.

As said by John Fingleton, Chief Executive of OFT, scammers have increasingly used witty and sophisticated techniques to fox people blindly giving their cash, reported BBC News on February 1, 2010.

Kevin Brennan, Consumer Minister, said that it is extremely important for the people to be vigilant, and fully aware of the aid being provided, since online scams can lead to real disturbance as well as misery to the victims, according to the news published by Press Association on February 1, 2010.

To conclude, OFT suggests end-users be suspicious of e-mails providing unbelievably genuine offers.

Related article: Online Card Fraud Shows Greater Tendency Than Chip and Pin

» SPAMfighter News - 2/8/2010