Mar, 2004 : Regulations.gov Spoofed in Phishing Scam

📅 March 17, 2004 - According to a report published on Tuesday by UK-based research and analysis firm Netcraft (netcraft.com), "phishing" scams are now spoofing Regulations.gov, a Web site operated by the US government. Phishing attacks, reportedly on the rise in recent months, involve the mass distribution of "spoofed" or forged emails which appear to come from legitimate sources but are designed to lead recipients towards fraudulent Web sites and trick them into disclosing sensitive personal data such as credit card numbers.

Netcraft said the scam attempts to replicate a fraudulent version of the regulations.gov Web site, using it to steal credit card data and other sensitive information.
Emails used in the scam come with subject lines reading "Official information" or "Urgent information to all credit card holders." The emails assert that a new law requires Internet users to identify themselves to the government to "create a secure and safer Internet community." Links to the Web site masquerading as regulations.gov then asks users for personal financial information.
Regulations.gov, part of the Bush administration's e-government initiative, invites citizens to submit comments on federal regulations. Many agencies, though not all, require that participants identity themselves.
According to the report, the Federal Trade Commission has issued a consumer alert in response to the scam. A link to the warning is posted on the regulations.gov Web site.
Netcraft also recently reported that Phishing scams were becoming more sophisticated, incorporating the use of fraudulent SSL certificates.