Germany Makes Arrests In Global Phishing Scam

Monkier writes "PC World reports on a sting by German police resulting in the arrest of ten people suspected of a phishing scam. The group was targeted bank customers with emails from organizations like eBay and Deutsche Telekom. The team attached software to the emails that recorded data entered into the host computers. From the article: '"This case shows that criminal organizations are using the Internet more and more to gain enormous amounts of money with a supposedly low risk of being caught," said Crime Office President Joerg Ziercke in a statement. "The authorities face constant new challenges in the fight against computer crime where perpetrators are developing a higher degree of professionalism and specialization." The office said the suspects had led luxurious lifestyles involving expensive jewelry, cars and travel.'"

Comments

Global crime, national governments

[Anonymous Coward]

Face it, the world ain't divided into little independent fiefdoms anymore. Why do we keep acting like it is a good idea to have little nations all under their own regime?

For a global order, we need a global system of governance. Lucky for us, open source is taking the lead:
http://www.metagovernment.org/

It's still young, but it's better than anything else out there.

Re:Global crime, national governments

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks, but I'd rather have the bastards sitting somewhere near, so it's easier to shoot them when the need arises. The EU is bad enough, faceless moloch that it has become...

Re:Global crime, national governments

[The Living Fractal]

Face it, the world IS STILL divided into little independent fiefdoms. And who is this 'we' that are acting like it's a good idea? Maybe you mean the people that recognize the nature of their power (of many types), and where it comes from? In other words, having a world government would severely hinder the "haves" in keeping themselves separate from the "nots".

I read the Metagovernment website. Pie-in-the-sky ideas. Sounds good on paper but the only thing that would ever make it even remotely possible to implement is massive, worldwide violence on a scale never before seen which somehow only killed the people who wanted to maintain their power.

Seriously, I mean, it sounds good but it's just not gonna go smoothly if it ever happens.

Bedfellows

[Stanistani]

This is an example where customers and businesses are on the same side, with governments and law enforcement actually protecting them by catching the bad guys.

I'd like to see more of this.

Of course, with eBay still sending me emails with links, telling me not to trust emails with links...

Re:Bedfellows

[dada21]

This is an example where customers and businesses are on the same side, with governments and law enforcement actually protecting them by catching the bad guys.

Even though I'm an anti-state kind of guy, it is times like this that I can at least applaud government for doing something right, although probably very inefficiently.

I coaxed my retired father to join the web a few years back (e-mail, slingbox, casual web browsing) and I get 5-10 e-mails a week from him forwarding some bank notification that is a phishing attempt. He has bank accounts with every major bank so all the phishing e-mails hit a bank he has. I keep telling him that his bank won't e-mail him about anything important (maybe a bill notification or whatever), but I told him to NEVER EVER click a link or call a number in an e-mail from anyone other than myself and our direct family. I set up bookmarks for him to go direct, and also gave him the phone number to the banks to call in case he's worried.

For me, the best thing we can do is just teach others the right way to browse, read e-mails and reply to things that sound scary. While I do applaud the government here for slamming some fraudsters, I think it is way cheaper, more secure and more protective of our freedoms to provide proper education to each other, rather than rely on government. All they'll use this for is more reasons to encroach on our inherent rights and take away more privacies.

As more people get burned, more people will learn. Fall off your bike a few times and you'll either realize you need more practice, or you shouldn't bike. We don't need the bike-fall police to protect us.

Note to others: train your parents, children, siblings and friends on the problems regarding phishing or any scam e-mails.

I just wish the "victims" were more careful

[Anonymous Coward]

I realize that I'm imposing my North-american-centric, socially-unfriendly view here, but why can't people just be a little LESS trusting. These problems would go away quickly if people would just educate themselves a bit and learn that the Internet is a "wretched hive of scum and villainy" and you just HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.

yeah, yeah... I'm blaming the victim...flame on

This is wrong

[Anonymous Coward]

Information wants to be free. Even unpopular information. This is yet another episode of suppressing information.

Mod parent up

[Anonymous Coward]

The parent makes the ideal counterpoint to the grandparent. Both are in my opinion valid arguments and deserve some thought. The question is, which society would you rather live in...

Re:Tax rates and organised crime

[Anonymous Coward]

No, in country B, if you cannot afford healthcare, the Hospitals cannot refuse you. It comes out of taxpayer pockets at that point usually.