Attackers phish in many languages

Fradusters are taking a multi-lingual approach to phishing attacks, according to RSA Security’s Anti-Fraud Command Center (AFCC).

The AFCC claims the non-English speaking phishing targets account for around 40 percent of total attacks, while the number of phishing attacks has increased insignificantly in the past six months.

Of the fraudulent transactions it has shut down, the AFCC noticed an increase in the number of attacks against European countries – including Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Scandinavia and France.

The AFCC claims the emails were sent in local dialects, such as Catalan in Northern Spain. Victims of phishing attacks were directed to a fraudulent websites designed to bypass local protection mechanisms.

Factors such as an increase in online banking users in Europe and Asia Pacific and banks offering increased online functionality services have contributed to this trend, claims AFCC.

Also, as larger institutions implement stronger defenses, fraud continues to migrate – phishers have already moved downstream to smaller financial institutions in the US, and are now moving across borders and expanding their global reach.

AFCC research also shows the origin of phishing attacks often varies considerably, and includes a wide range of host countries.

For example in the UK, less than half of phishing attacks originate in the US, with 20 percent coming from Korea, seven percent from Germany, four percent from the UK and three percent from Thailand, India, Morocco, Sweden, France, Israel and China.

In Spain, 37 percent of phishing attacks were instigated in the US.

Around 20 percent in Germany, seven percent in Korea, five percent in Japan, four percent in Australia and three percent in France and China.

Other European countries hosting attacks targeting Spain make up 15 percent and other Asia Pacific countries constitute six percent.

The AFCC said this shows the international, networked nature of the online fraud industry and indicates the expertise of fraudsters.