ID theft spyware scam uncovered

[emad]

ID theft spyware scam uncovered
By Mark Ward
Technology Correspondent, BBC News website


Thousands of computer users have been caught out by a huge ID theft ring.

Security firm Sunbelt Software said it stumbled across a US-based server storing megabytes of data stolen from compromised computers while researching spyware infections.

The server held passwords for online accounts from 50 banks, Ebay and Paypal logins, hundreds of credit card numbers and reams of personal data.

The FBI has reportedly now started investigating the ring of ID thieves.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4173218.stm

[dweller]

1. ...

"Many victims may have no idea that they have been infected.

"This version of the trojan was very successful," he said. "It was
very small, hard to detect, the file had a very innocuous name
and did not cause any problems to the machine.

The size and sophistication of the ID theft ring led anti-virus and
security companies to quickly produce tools that can spot if a
machine has been compromised by the server and clean up
infected machines.

The trojan was tricky to spot because the files being sent back to
the server were disguised as data traffic generated by a user's
browser. "

[emad]

2. I wondered about the Pay Pal biz because I've been getting fake

PayPal e-mails recently asking me to verify transactions and passwords. Never having used PayPal I reported the e-mails to my internet provider who replied that I was not the only person querying this.

[FormerDittoHead]

4. That wouldn't be what this is...

Those are emails which direct you to fake websites, usually innocent machines hacked into used for that purpose.

This story relates to something completely different.

[FormerDittoHead]

3. Yeah, how about getting off your asses and doing your jobs...

Instead of hassling people sharing mp3's for crying out loud - maybe they should go after REAL criminals...

"...It's same people..." - NOT