Can we say goodbye to phishers??

"Microsoft has announced that it is launching legal action against more than a hundred phishing gangs, which seek to trick e-mail users into revealing passwords or credit card details and then use them to commit fraud."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,26909-2094996,00.html

On one hand, this is what I think the war on phishing has been needing, someone with both muscle and technical expertise to launch an all out assault.

But realistically, how much of an impact can we actually expect this to have?

 

Thats a joke, you cant stop phishing. Whoever is getting sued isnt even 1% of the leaders and are probably nobodies since phishing can be done almost undetected.

Microsoft is just like the RIAA and just trying to put out a scare in the media so people dont do it but just like illegal downloading, spam, phishing, viruses, its a part of the internet and isnt going anywhere.

 

Almost undetected? I don't think that's true. Anything can be traced with enough resources to do so. And M$ has the clout.

 

O my god. Stop phishing!!! Then where what about the poor phishermen. I won't be able to eat any phish.

Seriously, I agree we need to get them. It's fraud and that's against the law. It's time to crack down.

I don't care how long, or how hard it is.

Even if I can't eat any more phish.

Skinny

 

Thats what they make you believe to calm people down. Phishing has been going on ever since there was email and they are only getting more popular.

If people thought more logical about how things worked and didnt just think a corporation has some kind of super power to do things because they have money they would realize there is no solution.

Anyone who is anybody in phishing doesnt send through his computer obviously. While the emails are sent from thousands of bots or offshore servers there is no possible way Microsoft can do anything about it.

There is so many steps invovled to even 'try' to track down the bot owner its impossible for anyone to do. Do you realize the budget and action you would have to put into such a case, its unrealistic and impossible. They dont even have the right before its granded to access the people's computers in the first place so they would need one for each of the 'bots' which perior they would need assistance from ISP which is more problems then attempt and figure out the rest which is more warrents and they dont have time for that.

Microsoft is just trying to get some good PR out of the window and its getting old because this type of stuff gets out every year about some big corporation putting their foot down on a subject and what does that get them? good press and thats it. What does it get everyone else? a scene of security.

 

I can't see M$, or anyone else, taking on ROC, not even Russia's own government (at least not 100% effectively, maybe not even 5% effectively), over this matter.

The "solution" to phishing is better education about online safety, promotion of browser and email client plugins/extensions to detect potential phishing websites and emails.

Phishing will probably never be stopped but more can be done to prevent people falling victim to it.

 

Do not confuse phishing emails with what msn is going to do.
They are not going after the phishing emails or emailers.
No, they will go after the sites, the domains, the servers, the isp's.
That the phishers use.
Kind of like what ebay/paypal/etc do now when they get the url of a phisher, they go after the isp, host company, etc to have it shut down.

It can be done where an entire country can be banned from the internet if it comes to that.

 

Ban America from the 'net then? But that couldn't happen, though, given what infrastructure it provides and the control it has over the internet. Phishers often just find a vulnerable system, whether it's an internet user's system or even ISP's own servers. And there are plenty of scammers using Microsoft's own services (such as msn personal domains and hotmail.com email addresses) but try getting them shut down and it (often) fails. I can imagine Bill Gates telling himself: "I'll see you in court!"

 

Many of the phishers and such are in other countries too. Actually majority of the serious phishers and carders are from oversea countries. What can microsoft do to a website in Romania? Try and get the law to do something? What if its not against the law to do it. It's all for press, there is reason to believe phishing is stopping, just like spam, just like viruses and exploits. It's a part of the internet just like information and communication.

 

Phisher might be in country X but they will hack a system in country Y and temporarily (until the service-provider finds and closes it) host the site there. Phisher is also sending the emails via servers in country Y (or Z) to hide his/her origin. M$'s efforts would be better spent in promoting online safety for users and better system administration at service providers.

 

Microsoft should spend money on MSN search engine. Enough with this good press get some algorithm thats better

 

Am I just being naive? When I get phished, I run a smartwhois - and get the server and administrator contact information, the aliases used, the I.P.(s), etc. It seems a pretty good source of material to get at the host. I submit these to paypal or ebay, for example, and would presume MS has a helluva lot more available than I do. If the phisher is using other means to get at me, at least, the attempt had to go through somewhere - and, presumably, that somewhere will be gone after.

Ah, just saw Ryan's post above. Yes, it would seem, naive in the extreme.

 

I agree that money would be better-spent on education. But it is also being well invested in smarter browsing platforms. The next versions of both IE and FireFox will include smarter anti-phishing tools

Even if they don't educate, these tools will make people more aware of the threats

 

This is a major pain. We have quite a few email users and we filter out a lot of this crap, but still some gets through

 

people shouldnt talk about the matter unless they have actually done it before.

 

Here's the latest spam - no more Nigerian Dictator, now it's the Chinese!
the chinese are coming, the chinese are coming

LOL

""""
My dear friend,

With due respect, don not be surprise of receive this kind of message from me, I am Barrister Youk KROMB, a solicitor at law and a personal Financial Attorney to Late Mr. Sheu Yuan-dong my client Mr. Sheu Yuan-dong lost his live with his wife and their only daughter on February 16, 1998 in a plane crash. He has $14.2 million United States Dollars with Barclays Bank here in country Burkina Faso. The fund has been dormant in his account with said bank without anybody available to claim.



Late Mr. Sheu Yuan-dong was a Governor of Taiwan Central Bank until his death. Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of his extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful, hence I contacted you to assist me in penetrating this money into your account before it gets confiscated by Barclays Bank authority. The Director of bank contacted me on 15th February 2006 and asked me as Financial Attorney to late Mr. Sheu Yuan-dong, I should present his next of kin to permit them release and transfer the fund from their custody else they do not have any option than to confiscated the fund to Central Bank as unclaimed fund. The fact and confidentially is, this sum kept here very secret while nobody knows except his wife and as a Governor of Taiwan's Central Bank he knew that anything can happen, so he kept this money here in case of emergency. Unfortunately he lost his live with his family in the event of the plane crash. I finally discovered that in all his files in my chambers and at the bank, he does not indicate his next of kin except his late wife.



After several unsuccessful attempts to trace any of his relatives, I decided to contact you in assistance that you will stand as next of kin or business partner to penetrate this fund into your account as I

mentioned above because the fact remains clear that anybody I present to the bank as his next of kin or his business partner shall inherit the fund and it is based on this fact that I ask you to get back to me immediately to enable us discuss on terms of partnership in this issue so that I will forward your co-ordinance/identification to the bank as his legitimate next of kin and beneficiary to the fund.



Bear in mind that after the successful of transferred this fund into your account, you will entitle with 40% to the total fund and 60% will be mine because I am the person who will protect you here and directing you in successful of this transaction till you confirm the fund in your account.



Please visit this websites:



ww.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/16/taiwan.crash.update2/

...dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnetGOjg/160298.htm



For your information, being a Taiwanese or not will not pose any problem for the successful transfer of this fund to your account, the only unlawful regarding to this is, our constitution here is not allow

any indigene as Burkinabe to stand as next of kin to any foreigner.



I await your immediate response so that I will give you a more detail information as regards to this transaction.



Truly yours,

Barr. Youk KROMB

Tel: 00226 76444470.



NB: kindly call me when you found this interesting and you should also be aware that I am entitle in procuring any documentation which will guard this transaction.

 

Too many people defending phishing here, i dont like it. Its the most important issue affecting ecommerce growth in the US. 1/3 of people dont want to purchase anything on the web because of those fake emails trying to steal their passwords and empty their bank accounts.
Hosting companies must be closely monitored.

 

It's not defending. Its reality. You dont wish to accept it. Believe the Press release! Simple as that.