U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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February 3 , 2006 |
Phishing scams often lead to stolen identities and access codes leaving victims with empty bank accounts or ruined credit histories. Over the past five years, the FBI has encouraged businesses and citizens to report internet fraud, such as phishing scams, to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), headquartered in West Virginia. As a proactive approach to assist businesses and financial industries endeavoring to protect themselves and their customers, the FBI is sharing collected information. Yesterday, February 2, 2006, FBI Phoenix Division hosted a conference between FBI experts from IC3, the InfraGard Southern Arizona Chapter and local business representatives. During this conference, IC3 experts shared information concerning national trends on phishing scams. FBI Phoenix, Special Agent in Charge, Jana D. Monroe, elaborates that, “millions of fraudulent E-mails are distributed daily appearing to be official business requests for personal identity or credit information. Reported cases involving local Arizona residents indicate that within minutes of victims providing personal information to a fraudulent web site, money from their accounts is being withdrawn from overseas automated teller machines.” SAC Monroe stated, “The objective of Thursday’s conference was to identify the most effective mechanism to report Internet crime and promote security awareness education. To report Internet Crimes, citizens are encouraged to contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.IC3.gov. For additional information on Internet crime and how to protect your identity, please visit the National InfraGard web site, www.InfraGard.net.” |