Phishing Attacks Hit New Levels

ITP reports that In its latest Phishing Activity Trends Report released this month, the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) said that after steadily swelling throughout the year, the number of unique e-mail-based fraud attacks detected in November 2005 peaked higher than ever at 16,882 — almost double the 8,975 attacks that were launched in November 2004.

With global e-commerce and banking institutions most regularly spoofed, the number of well-known brands targeted increased by nearly 50% over the course of last year — from 64% through January rising to an overwhelming 93% in November.

Two waves of phishing attacks hit a number of leading banks in the UAE around July and October last year, with some experts warning that the problem targeting Middle East financial institutions had become “endemic”.

At the time, the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) said that phishers had sent e-mails to its customers, claiming to be from the bank, which linked to a fake website similar to that of the bank’s own.