Chinese internet watchdog warns of Skype phishing campaigns
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
China's National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team (CERT) has issued a warning to users of popular VoIP service Skype, saying that a sophisticated phishing campaign has them squarely in its crosshairs, according to IDG News Service reports.
IDG says that Chinese CERT report details the phishing attempts, which send messages to users saying that they have won a prize and attempt to convince them to click on a malicious link in order to claim the nonexistent reward. The group also said that it had closed a domain associated with the phishing attack, according to IDG.
The news service also quotes government officials from CERT as saying that Skype is a particularly attractive target for scam artists because of its large user base and easy access to account information, which can provide a quick payday for astute cyber criminals.
Skype phishing has been seen across the globe, experts say, although most attempts to illegally gather online banking information or other sensitive data still take place via email, whether a traditional spam campaign or a more carefully targeted spear phishing attempt.
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