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Panda Warns Against Phishing Fraud
Techtree News Staff
April 08, 2005
Panda Software has issued a warning to users of a relatively new kind of online phishing scam, where the real aim of certain fraud websites is not to sell anything, but to get users to enter their credit card details.
According to Luis Corrons, director, Panda Labs, "This kind of online fraud differs from those witnessed previously. The malicious user does not contact the person interested in buying the product, but it is actually the buyer, in searching for the best prices online, who goes to the fraudulent web page creating a false sense of security."
The scam starts when an unsuspecting user searches for airline ticket offers with an Internet search engine. This takes them to an Internet address offering cheap airline tickets. The site includes a form asking the user to enter personal details, including their credit card number, expiry date and verification value.
Once these details have been entered, to prolong the illusion, an error page is displayed telling the user that the transaction has been unsuccessful, and offering instructions on how to pay for the ticket by postal money order.
Until now, the identified websites that offered fraud airline tickets have been disabled by the authorities. However, it is likely that there may be many other websites offering similar type of bargains with the same objective.
"Users are best advised to treat bargains with suspicion, and only make online purchases from trusted sites. In any event, if in doubt, it is a good idea to search for information about the website in question on the Internet. Users should be able to find opinions and experiences of other users who have used the same service," Corrons added.
Techtree News Staff
April 08, 2005
Panda Software has issued a warning to users of a relatively new kind of online phishing scam, where the real aim of certain fraud websites is not to sell anything, but to get users to enter their credit card details.
According to Luis Corrons, director, Panda Labs, "This kind of online fraud differs from those witnessed previously. The malicious user does not contact the person interested in buying the product, but it is actually the buyer, in searching for the best prices online, who goes to the fraudulent web page creating a false sense of security."
The scam starts when an unsuspecting user searches for airline ticket offers with an Internet search engine. This takes them to an Internet address offering cheap airline tickets. The site includes a form asking the user to enter personal details, including their credit card number, expiry date and verification value.
Once these details have been entered, to prolong the illusion, an error page is displayed telling the user that the transaction has been unsuccessful, and offering instructions on how to pay for the ticket by postal money order.
Until now, the identified websites that offered fraud airline tickets have been disabled by the authorities. However, it is likely that there may be many other websites offering similar type of bargains with the same objective.
"Users are best advised to treat bargains with suspicion, and only make online purchases from trusted sites. In any event, if in doubt, it is a good idea to search for information about the website in question on the Internet. Users should be able to find opinions and experiences of other users who have used the same service," Corrons added.
