Scareware scammers now phishing for punters

Scareware scammers are targeting credit card users with a new run of spam emails falsely warning recipients that their plastic has been blocked. The fraudulent emails, which resemble those more commonly seen in phishing or banking Trojan attacks, are fairly detailed and attempt to trick prospective marks into opening an …

[CarlC]

I guess we get....

a bit complacent when we work in the industry, or have a keen interest in computing etc., but I am still amazed that in this day and age these types of phishing/scamming attacks are worth running.

Obviously, they are or they wouldn't still be around and I guess all of us 'in the know' need to make sure we spread the word to our less informed/ technically savvy friends.......

[Alan Brown]

Not helped when....

HSBC have preemptively blocked several thousand cards without giving a valid reason other than "we have intelligence that your card may be compromised"

Helped even less when they refuse to confirm what they've done when media query the action.

[Anonymous Coward]

The banks need to act as well

by cancelling the cards of anyone who falls for these and refusing to reimburse them, on the grounds that the card holder violated the Ts&Cs of the card by giving the card details to a 3rd party.

A few well publicised cases like that would make people pay more attention, and then the rest of us wouldn't have to pay the high bank charges that are the result of the card issuers losses. If enough people wised up, the scams wouldn't be worth running.

Let's not forget, these scams don't steal from the banks, nor from the direct victims. They steal from the honest folks who use their cards properly.

[Winkypop]

When I'm king

The scanners will first agin the wall.

[Anonymous Coward]

...and

closely followed by the ignorant and illiterate, I hope!