Managing Intellectual Property

Phishers capitalise on credit crunch

16 March 2009

Eileen McDermott, New York

Phishing attacks on financial institutions rose by 51% in the second half of 2008, according to MarkMonitor’s second annual year-in-review Brandjacking Index

The surge is almost certainly linked to the economic crisis, as mergers between major financial institutions lead to consumer confusion and provide a topical target for phishers, MarkMonitor's Te Smith told Managing IP: "Phishers take advantage of market movement. They're always trying something new, and when they find something that works, they'll do it over and over."

For example, Lehman Brothers was phished for the first time the Monday after it filed for bankruptcy. As rumours of potential buyers circulated, sites including barclayslehman.com, hsbclehman.com, hsbclehmanbrothers.com and bofalehman.com were quickly...



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