Plenty more ‘phish’ in the sea

Phishing is once again on the rise. This is a cyber crime that involves tricking computer users into disclosing their personal details [username, password, PIN number or any other access information] and then using these details to obtain money under false pretences.

The number of phishing attacks, and the associated costs, are increasing. According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group Phishing Activity Trends Report – November 2004, there was a 34% month-on-month growth in the number of new, unique phishing e-mail messages between July 2004 and November 2004; and a 28% month-on-month growth in the number of unique fraudulent web sites.

This growth is clearly being driven by the potential to make money from unsuspecting users and we would urge users to be cautious about the way they conduct online transactions.