Domain Registration Related News
Phishing Scam Spoofs U.S. Government Site
March 2004
Phishing scams are now spoofing a web site
operated by the U.S. government, using the Bush
administration's information-gathering initiatives
as cover for a scam to capture credit card and
banking data. The fraud mimicks the
Regulations.gov web site, and has triggered a
consumer alert from the Federal Trade Commission.
The scam employs e-mails with subject lines
reading "Official information" or "Urgent
information to all credit card holders," and
asserts that a new law requires Internet users to
identify themselves to the government to "create a
secure and safer Internet community." The e-mail
links to a Web site masquerading as
regulations.gov and asks readers to provide
personal financial information.
Regulations.gov allows visitors to review and
comment on documents in the Federal Register. The
site is part of the Bush administration's
e-Government initiative, which is developing an
"e-authentication" process that envisions "the
identity proofing of individuals and businesses"
who use federal web sites to access government
services. "This will help build the trust that
must be an inherent part of every online exchange
between citizens and the Government," according to
the project's home page.
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