Phishermen dropped a line

AN EMAIL scam targeting cwgsy.net users has highlighted a common and potentially serious threat to businesses. The spoof – known as ‘phishing’ – masqueraded as an official communication and demanded personal details.

Cable & Wireless blocked the email address from sending any more messages to cwgsy.net mailboxes on Friday morning. Richard Lowe, director of Channel Islands IT firm iConsult, said it was a growing crime.

‘It’s pretty widespread and it’s getting more common because email is a free tool for scammers to use. Getting hold of someone’s personal information like their date of birth allows the “phishermen” to assume a person’s identity. With just two or three pieces of information, it’s relatively easy to become plausible online.’

The email, sent from ‘customer.care83@live.com’, identified itself as coming from the cwgsy.net messaging centre. It claimed to be deleting unused mailboxes to create space for new accounts and told customers to enter personal details to stop theirs being closed.

C&W Sure head of PR Steve Smith said anyone who had responded to the email needs to change their password and should call the 24-hour contact centre on freephone 700700 (from thisisguernsey)