In October, the FBI announced a major cybercrime take down called Operation Phish Phry. The investigation uncovered a sophisticated international “phishing” operation that collected personal information from thousands of victims, some of whom were residents of the St. Louis area. The FBI says Operation Phish Phry is the largest cybercrime investigation to date in the U.S., with 53 defendants charged in U.S District Court.

According to the indictment, Egyptian-based hackers used phishing techniques to obtain bank account numbers and related personal identification information from bank customers. Phishing attacks frequently begin with an e-mail message purporting to be from a trusted source that actually contains a malicious link. The link directs users to a “spoofed” Web site that looks legitimate but is designed to trick users into disclosing personal information.

After the FBI announced the indictment, local TV station KMOV aired a story advising St. Louis-area computer users to be wary of phishing scams. Reporter Robin Smith interviewed Robert Brown, an Internet security expert with UltraTech Resources, who offered practical tips for spotting phishing schemes and avoiding becoming a victim. “One of the more common scams involves e-mails telling you that you could win $1 million today if you just transfer money to this account,” Brown said. “Common sense is your best guide in these types of situations. If something looks too good to be true it more than likely is.”
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