Fraudsters attempt to scam 100,000 AIB customers

31 Aug 2009

AIB has warned its online bank customers to beware of bogus emails after a massive 300pc rise in phishing attacks.

According to reports business and personal account holders’ email inboxes have been bombarded with emails purporting to be from AIB but which seek confidential details of people’s bank accounts.

It is understood that more than 100,000 customers received these fraudulent emails.

Customers of the bank have received emails with headings like ‘Important Security Issue’, ‘Your AIB Code Card is about to Expire’ and ‘Your Internet Banking access is about to expire.’

Some of the emails will direct the customer to a fake website that looks identical to an official AIB website where customers will be prompted to put in details such as full registration code, their five-digit PAC code, their Code Card Numbers, address, phone number, work phone number and email address.

These are attempts by phishers to get customers to reveal sensitive details. Once the fraudsters have got their hands on these details they will use them to hack into users’ accounts and transfer their money.

It is understood that many of the attacks are originating in the Far East and that the latest scam targeting 100,000 customers comes from Taiwan.

By John Kennedy

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com