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The Korea Information Security Agency (KISA) on Wednesday warned Internet users against e-mails that promise a prize if recipients go to a certain website and input their credit card number. Such e-mails, even when they appear to come from reputable websites like eBay, are likely the bait for a cyber crime known as ¡°phishing,¡± whereby criminals lure Internet users to counterfeit sites of well-known companies to steal their credit card and PIN numbers and other private data.
KISA said Wednesday 352 phishing-related cases were reported this year, already passing last year's total of 200. From January to May, an average of 60 phishing cases were reported a month, with the number jumping to 97 in May.
Phishing scam mails often purport to come from big-name companies such as eBay and PAYPAL, and international banks and credit card companies like Suntrust Bank and Southtrust Bank. They often contain links to fake homepages.
A popular ploy is to scare users that they will no longer be able to access certain sites unless they update their password or other personal information. There is a strong chance that even e-mails with the trademark of well-known companies are fraudulent. Damage from phishing scams can be reported to (02) 1336.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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