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CNN Live Sunday
New Internet Fraud Targets Brands
Aired July 20, 2003 - 18:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, if you use a computer this concerns you. Internet fraud appears to be stepping up to the next level. Tomorrow, the FBI, Federal Trade Commission, and Earthlink will issue a warning to the public to watch out for what's known as brand spoofing spam.
Our Science Correspondent Ann Kellan has more on this growing threat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANN KELLAN, SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT: It's a warning to anyone using e-mail or surfing the web, these are rip-off artists getting personal information out of you like bank account, credit card numbers, without you realizing it.
One example, you get an e-mail from a bank and it tells you they're updating your personal information with a link. Now, this link is not taking you to the bank after all but it's to the rip-off artist's website where you are giving them all your personal information.
With me now to discuss this new type of scam, Susan Getgood with Surf Control, thank you for joining us today. Tell us how these rip- off artists are doing what they're doing and what companies are they saying they are?
SUSAN GETGOOD, SURF CONTROL: Basically what they're doing is they're sending you an e-mail pretending to be from a legitimate company, some kind of - rather, it's potentially you purchase something and there's wrong with the purchase or you've - they've lost your records and they need to update their records and they'll send you, as you mentioned, to these websites where they ask you to put in the personal information. Companies like Best Buy, Pay Pal, Earthlink, the Massachusetts State Lottery have all been affected by this recently.
KELLAN: And, basically, what they'll tell you is there's something wrong with your personal data that they need more information out of you and to fill out this form. Now, then they have you link to some form. How will people know to worry about this?
GETGOOD: Well, for example - for one key thing is to look for typographical errors in the message, things like spelling mistakes, receiving is spelled incorrectly.
The other thing to do is if you're asked to go to a website for a company you are doing business with, say it's your bank, don't click on that link in the e-mail, actually type in the URL address of the bank and that way you'll go right to your bank the way you always normally do, and if it's a scam there may even be a notice on your bank's website warning you of the scam.
KELLAN: This has happened to hundreds of people already so what if they've been duped already. What do you do? Is there any way to correct the problem or is it too late?
GETGOOD: Well, if you've been duped already you should do the exact same thing you do if you left your credit card at the table in the restaurant. You should call your bank. You should call your credit card company and tell them that you had a problem.
If you haven't been duped and you want to be on the alert for this sort of thing, you should report fraud, the potential fraud to law enforcement and you should consider using filtering technology whether you're at home or whether you're at work to make sure you don't even get these spams delivered to you in the first place.
KELLAN: Thank you, out of our Boston Bureau, Susan thanks for joining us. Susan is with Surf Control.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And that was CNN's Science Correspondent Ann Kellan.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 20, 2003 - 18:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, if you use a computer this concerns you. Internet fraud appears to be stepping up to the next level. Tomorrow, the FBI, Federal Trade Commission, and Earthlink will issue a warning to the public to watch out for what's known as brand spoofing spam.
Our Science Correspondent Ann Kellan has more on this growing threat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANN KELLAN, SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT: It's a warning to anyone using e-mail or surfing the web, these are rip-off artists getting personal information out of you like bank account, credit card numbers, without you realizing it.
One example, you get an e-mail from a bank and it tells you they're updating your personal information with a link. Now, this link is not taking you to the bank after all but it's to the rip-off artist's website where you are giving them all your personal information.
With me now to discuss this new type of scam, Susan Getgood with Surf Control, thank you for joining us today. Tell us how these rip- off artists are doing what they're doing and what companies are they saying they are?
SUSAN GETGOOD, SURF CONTROL: Basically what they're doing is they're sending you an e-mail pretending to be from a legitimate company, some kind of - rather, it's potentially you purchase something and there's wrong with the purchase or you've - they've lost your records and they need to update their records and they'll send you, as you mentioned, to these websites where they ask you to put in the personal information. Companies like Best Buy, Pay Pal, Earthlink, the Massachusetts State Lottery have all been affected by this recently.
KELLAN: And, basically, what they'll tell you is there's something wrong with your personal data that they need more information out of you and to fill out this form. Now, then they have you link to some form. How will people know to worry about this?
GETGOOD: Well, for example - for one key thing is to look for typographical errors in the message, things like spelling mistakes, receiving is spelled incorrectly.
The other thing to do is if you're asked to go to a website for a company you are doing business with, say it's your bank, don't click on that link in the e-mail, actually type in the URL address of the bank and that way you'll go right to your bank the way you always normally do, and if it's a scam there may even be a notice on your bank's website warning you of the scam.
KELLAN: This has happened to hundreds of people already so what if they've been duped already. What do you do? Is there any way to correct the problem or is it too late?
GETGOOD: Well, if you've been duped already you should do the exact same thing you do if you left your credit card at the table in the restaurant. You should call your bank. You should call your credit card company and tell them that you had a problem.
If you haven't been duped and you want to be on the alert for this sort of thing, you should report fraud, the potential fraud to law enforcement and you should consider using filtering technology whether you're at home or whether you're at work to make sure you don't even get these spams delivered to you in the first place.
KELLAN: Thank you, out of our Boston Bureau, Susan thanks for joining us. Susan is with Surf Control.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And that was CNN's Science Correspondent Ann Kellan.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
