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How the Phishing Biz Works
Carl Bialik from the WSJ writes "Christopher Abad has spent much of the past six months 'stalking the phisher underground,' Lee Gomes writes in the Wall Street Journal. 'The typical phisher, he discovered, isn't a movie-style villain but a Romanian teenager, albeit one who belongs to a social and economic infrastructure that is both remarkably sophisticated and utterly ragtag. If, in the early days, phishing scams were one-person operations, they have since become so complicated that, just as with medicine or law, the labor has become specialized.' For instance, a phisher in Romania who successfully scores account information for someone in the U.S. may go on IRC to seek out a 'casher' to withdraw money from the target's account, and send a cut back to the phisher."
Looks like I caught a big one! A 12-lb FP!
I think it involves 3. ??? somewhere
Will wash cars for karma
Remember that that cold soldering iron "Cold Heat" you see advertised on TV late night was invented by Romanian immigrants.
Yeah, and before you diss Americans, that "Pocket Fisherman" you see advertised on TV late night was invented by Americans...
What's your damage, Heather?
"'The typical phisher, he discovered, isn't a movie-style villain but a Romanian teenager"
A Romanian teenager is a typical movie style villain. Haven't they ever seen Blade?
I wan' to see the IRC-network, wehre one can "post" things.....
This is a vast exaggeration. The image of an eastern europe, 'ragtag' social and economic infrastructure is, for example, in complete contrast to the well-dressed, hip, bling-bling superstars that make up my crew.
We call it Fly Phishing.
Uh - what? Sorry - You lost me at "hot Brazilian chicks"...
I got a phishing attack today. They ask me to log in to https://www.paypal.com/ Note the extra s. Non-obviously, it's fake. How does this redirection work?
"Hello, I am a Nigerian 'phishing' hacker who steals money. But I have no way to withdraw the money from the accounts I've collected. I will give you an account number containing $50,000 in exchange for $1000 pre-paid into my account. Once I verify the money is in my account, you will receive instructions for how to access the $50,000."
E pluribus unum
I don't think it is fair to just pick on the Romulans...wait a second...this isn't the STNG forum? What the hell are ROMANIANS anyway?
I hope no one has posted this yet, but The University of Phoenix Online now has a one year introductory course on phishing (along with 739 other degrees in great careers.) A Master's program will be introduced next year if there is enough interest!
Phishing is a job? Wow, finally a new sort of tech job and it is immediately shipped oversees.... can't even buy a break these days.
The most effective phishing attempt on me was carried out IRL.
My friends and I drove from Tallahassee to Atlanta for a concert, and as we got into downtown that night, I stopped for gas at a Chevron. This guy in a blue and white (Chevron's colors) jacket-thing walks up and asks what I need.
Me: "Just ten bucks in gas.
Guy: "Alright."
[Guy is just standing there staring at me]
Me: "... Do I just pay you?"
Guy: "Yeah."
Me: "... Oh, okay."
I hand the guy ten bucks, and he walks off into the night, and I'm standing there feeling like a COMPLETE dumbass. Needless to say, it wasn't one of my proudest moments. But I was a stupid 17-year-old kid, so...
The funniest (I guess) part was that a cop SAW THE WHOLE THING, comes by and I tell him what just happened. He shakes his head and says, "Don't come around here no more." Nice, officer, way to make me feel safe in your city.
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