E-mail Scam Targets Nationwide

[bongme]

hi

'Phishing' scams are becoming a growing problems

Monday, 27 October, 2003

By Sarah Toyne

BBC News Online personal finance reporter

Customers of Nationwide, the UK's largest building society, have become the latest online banking consumers to be targeted by an e-mail scam, BBC News Online has learned.

The scam tries to trick customers into giving away confidential bank details.

The scam, known as "phishing", targeted Barclays and Lloyds TSB customers in September.

NatWest customers were e-mailed on Friday and Halifax's on Saturday, and it has also emerged that Barclays' customers were targeted again over the weekend.

Growing menace

The e-mails ask customers to verify their details and handover pin numbers and passwords, through a replica website.

They are sent randomly to consumers, in the hope that someone will divulge their banking details.

Nationwide, the UK's largest building society, said its customers had received the false e-mails on Sunday.

Recipients said the wording on the e-mails was very similar to those also received by Halifax customers over the weekend.

Experts say the scam originates from Eastern Europe - and it is the first part of a two-tier scam which has emerged in recent months.

The building society said some customers had received e-mails, but it was too early to say if anyone had submitted their details.

It is advising anyone who thinks they may have given away their confidential details to contact its call centre.

"We would never ask for personal identification details, such as pin numbers or passwords," said a spokesman.

"Delete them [suspicious e-mails] straight away."

Barclays said it had shut down the fraudster's website over the weekend and had introduced extra security measures.

"We had some calls from customers but only one so far has disclosed any information", a spokesman told BBC News Online.

Worldwide problem

The scam has also hit large retail banks in the US, Australia, New Zealand and mainland Europe in the past year.

"Phishing" is only the initial stage of a two-tier scam originating in Eastern Europe.

The second stage, known as "money transfer" or "job offer scam", involves advertising for British people with UK-based accounts to act as agents to transfer money overseas.

Anyone who has concerns should contact Nationwide on 08457 302010.

Bongme

[Wilbur Nutsack]

Had a few of these already today.

Barclays as well.