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'Chat-in-the-Middle' Phishing Scam Tricks You With Instant Messages

by Warren Riddle on September 18, 2009 at 03:35 PM

The RSA FraudAction Research Lab has uncovered a sophisticated and tricky new phishing scheme. Dubbed the 'Chat-in-the-Middle' scam, the new attack targets the online customers of a specific U.S. financial institution and begins, as many scams do, as an apparently innocent log-in screen.

The new twist, though, appears after the marks have entered their log-in information. Typically, once phishing victims enter their ID and password, they're redirected to a dummy Web site created by the grifters. The Chat-in-the-Middle scheme, though, incorporates a fake real-time support chat window (even if you don't have an IM service installed), through which the scammers try to dupe their targets into divulging pertinent personal information like names, addresses, and phone numbers.

So far, RSA has only discovered one instance of the attack, which seems to only target one specific bank (kept anonymous for security concerns). The firm believes, though, that the technique could be refined and more widely perpetrated. So, always be wary of entering information into any site or log-in screen, particularly if you are not sure of its authenticity, and if you bank on-line, watch out for mysterious chat windows. For further phishing prevention you can check out the handy Switched guide right here. [From: RSA and CNET]

Tags: Chat-in-the-Middle, identity theft, IdentityTheft, im, phishing, scam, security, top

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