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Hosting Connecticut Stops Phishing Scam

October 2005

Hosting Connecticut, LLC stopped an email ‘phishing’ scam before it could get started when three accounts were set up to look like legitimate bank websites in order to steal people’s bank account information.

Hosting CT quickly froze all three accounts and contacted the Bank of America Fraud Department with the details. The same person tried a few more times to set up fraudulent accounts with stolen credit card numbers, always to be thwarted by Hosting CT. "All the info I could find on him has been given to the authorities. He's not going to get away with it. At least not on my servers," says owner, Paula M. Pierce.

The perpetrator ordered three websites online all at once. The ever-vigilant staff of Hosting Connecticut, LLC noticed something "phishy" right away. The name on the first account was Steven Sontag, the domain names registered were variations of "accountoverview" and "boa" (the initials of Bank of America), and a second, similar account was attempted minutes earlier with the same domain name but a different name, address and credit card number. The fraudster's IP address traced to the Middle East, not the US as the billing address indicated. To top it all off, the perpetrator immediately started uploading files called "Bank of America Online Banking" and "Update Your Account" forms.

Unfortunately phishing, the practice of setting up fake bank websites to steal people's private information, is getting very common. We’ve all gotten these emails, supposedly from a bank (or paypal or ebay) telling us to update our account using the link provided. If clicked, that link brings you to a website that looks like the real bank's website, but it's not. Malicious techies simply duplicate the sites and use them to steal personal information so they can clean out bank accounts and commit identity theft. These bad guys phish by sending out millions of emails and when even a small percentage of unsuspecting folks "confirm their information", the spammers have access to their hard-earned cash and credit.

The FTC suggests these tips to help you avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam:

1. If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply. And don’t click on the link.
2. se anti-virus software and a firewall, and keep them up to date.
3. Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information.
4. Forward spam that is phishing for information to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing email. Most organizations have information on their websites about where to report problems.

© Copyright 2005 Paula M. Pierce. Paula is the owner of Hosting Connecticut, LLC website development firm in Windsor, CT. You can find information about website services at www.HostingCT.com Tel: 860-683-4201 Fax: 860-298-9617