IMF warning ......

[CharleyO]

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The International Monetary Fund on Friday warned of a jump in the number of fraudulent e-mails and communications claiming to be from or affiliated with the Washington-based multilateral lender.

For more information, click the link below ......

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6094634.html?tag=nl.e622


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[bob3160]

Unfortunately this is nothing new.
Phishing has been going on for years.
It usually comes back under a new wrapper or with a new twist
but it's still the same thing:
Some crook is out to steal your money.
Unless you take some simple precautions, (usually common sense)
these scam artists will separate you from your money.
Use Site Advisor or if you're using the new IE beta, activate the phishing filter.
There are many tools available just Google for them.

[polonus]

Hi Bob,

It is all varieties of a common theme, called social engineering, and if people do not use their wit, you can fall victim to it.

Actually this scheme, it is as old as the way to Rome. A gypsy sorcerer would come to the house and if the master brings money to the cellar it will be ten times  as much, but only if he cares to wait for  five hours after the gypsy has left. Now he has to go to bed, lay still, don't move, later he will be a rich(er) man. Well we all know the end of the story, the greedy man is left with old newspaper clippings, but for shame is not going to tell the authorities, and the gypsy is long gone.

polonus

[DavidR]

Yes 'common sense' is a marvellous resource, you have to ask yourself, why would the IMF be emailing me, how did they get my email address, etc. etc.

This and many other phishing emails from Banks, that you don't even have an account with, PayPal, etc. offers that are too good to be true often are. Basically any unsolicited email should be treated with the contempt it deserves and deleted. PayPal, Banks, etc. don't ask for you to  visit a web site and confirm your details, etc. and if they did suggest something they wouldn't provide a link, but have you connect in the way you usually do.

In the same way you don't open attachments in unsolicited emails you shouldn't click links in unsolicited emails, just common sense really