Experts Warn of Phishing Adaptation, Consumer Flatfootedness in Hurricane Season
Though last year’s harsh hurricanes sparked a rash of awareness advocacy about Internet scams in 2006, experts are warning that consumers will likely fall prey to the same kind of scams (WID Sept 2 p1) -- and phishers will quickly adapt to changes -- in the hurricane season that officially started Thurs. Bills that target scams exploiting generosity in emergencies and help families track displaced loved ones have also stalled in the Senate with little time left for passage. Companies such as Amazon.com are stepping forward with their own product packages for concerned consumers.
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Days after Katrina and Rita hit last year, phishers and other scam artists registered domain names, posing as charity and other relief organizations to steal from unsuspecting users, Anti-Phishing Working Group Secy. Gen. Peter Cassidy told us. Phishers won’t build an infrastructure for attacks, but they will seize on vulnerabilities, Cassidy said: “These people are not specialists… They don’t wait for hurricanes. Those are just another opportunity. [Phishing] is all about creating little emergencies.”
Domain name registrars are aware of attack risks and are “keeping their eyes peeled,” Cassidy said, adding that DoJ also conducted test runs to develop a routine response, which means phishers will be less successful. But while more people and agencies will be prepared, phishers will find a way to attack those who fell through the cracks, he said: Phishers work on a “big numbers theory,” so if less people are responding to their attacks, they will just send out more e-mails or approach victims through instant messaging or telephones.
Regular citizens won’t be prepared for identity theft during this year’s hurricane season, a spokesman for the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) told us: Most people believe they will never be victims. Critical documents should be easily accessible, stored outside of the home, or scanned and backed up onto a disk. But most attempts to scam vulnerable people are unpredictable, he said. In the aftermath of Katrina, some criminals posed as FEMA employees and stole Social Security numbers and other personal data. The culprits pretended to make the information a requirement for obtaining emergency aid, according to the Identity Theft Assistance Center, a cooperative effort of the financial sector.
Rep. Bass’s (R-N.H.) American Spirit Fraud Prevention Act (HR-3675) appears headed for the same fate it suffered in 2001 and 2003: Dying from Senate inattention at the end of session. That bill would double civil penalties for activities that “exploit popular reaction to an emergency or major disaster,” such as online scams. The measure passed quickly in the House last fall, and a Bass spokeswoman was optimistic that N.H. colleague Sen. Sununu (R) would shepherd the bill through (WID Oct 28 p1). But the bill is stuck in the Commerce Committee. “Unfortunately at this time we do not see immediate movement on the bill [in the Senate], though Congressman Bass plans to follow and pursue its progress,” a spokeswoman told us. Sen. Obama’s (D-Ill.) National Emergency Family Locator Act (S-1630), which would have the Dept. of Homeland Security create a multisource database that lets family members submit names and locations of displaced family (WID Sept 13 p8), hasn’t left its original Senate subcommittee.
Some coastal states, including Fla., N.C. and Tex., have revamped evacuation plans and created Web sites to help residents and businesses prepare. More than 34.6 million people live in the at-risk coastal zones, according to the Census Bureau. The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration is predicting 8-10 hurricanes.
Amazon opened an emergency preparedness store in time for the hurricane season. The store offers more than 800,000 tools, communication devices, first aid supplies and safety equipment. Printable checklists available on the site can help people prepare for and recover from natural disasters, and consumers concerned their Internet access will go out can also call an Amazon toll-free number listed on the checklists to shop for items. Resources from the American Red Cross, the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Hurricane Center are also available at the store. “Some” items in the emergency store can ship within 24 hours of ordering and have overnight delivery options, but “it is our overreaching goal to help customers prepare before a crisis,” a spokeswoman told us.