Reporting scam emails to Met Police

[Chris Salter]

On 04/12/2011 14:15, Peter Tomlinson wrote:
> Thanks, Peter. I had read only the summary of that document.
>
> But of course what I'm looking for (and I think we had it for a few
> months) is pro-active action to block access to the phishing sites.
> Although I had read somewhere that such access really needs to be
> blocked within an hour of the messages starting to be sent to us
> targets...
>
> However, in PlusNet's hands, Cloudmark is being used to inspect all
> outgoing mail, without knowing if it is malicious or an honest
> attempt to combat criminality.
>
> Is the mere act of sending a phishing or other scam email a criminal
>  offence? If so, we ought to be able to report it through
> actionfraud, but it appears that they don't want that.

I would have thought Phishing is a global issue requiring global
cooperation to combat it. The APWG appears to be a global response as
can be seen from its list of members and research partners.

http://www.apwg.org/sponsors.html#sponsors

Scanning down the list you will find APACS (The UK Payments Association)
and its public information site, Bank Safe Online.

http://www.ukpayments.org.uk/

http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk/

You can report scams (including Phishing) via their site or by email.

http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk/report_scam.html

 From the above:

All emails reported to us will be processed by automated systems that
analyse the contents for new incidents. The results
are then used by our global network of anti-phishing partners to protect
Internet users by:

* Identifying and shutting down web sites, domain names and email
addresses used by fraudsters

* Improving user protection systems like anti-phishing toolbars and
anti-spyware products

* Improving anti-spam filters so that fewer spam emails get through

End Quote.

Given that APACS/BankSafeOnline are research partners to APWG it seems
reasonable to assume Phishing sources are passed on to APWG.

Action Fraud appears to be the public site of the National Fraud
Authority, who don't appear to have their own site, rather they come
under the Home Office (not researched in depth so I may be wrong).

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/agencies-public-bodies/nfa/

According to the above the NFA leads the implementation of "Fighting
Fraud Together".

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/agencies-public-bodies/nfa/fighting-fraud-tog/fighting-fraud-together?view=Binary
or
http://preview.tinyurl.com/d6gcp9v

Unfortunately "Together" appears to be limited to the UK. In addition, a
search of the above document for either "Phishing" or "email" produced 0
results.

So, personally, although I monitor Action Fraud's news items (which
cover a wide range of UK specific 'fraud events') via an RSS feed, as
far as Phishing is concerned I will continue to report it direct to APWG.

>
> On 04/12/2011 07:45, Peter Sommer wrote:
>> The cyber security strategy document published on 25 November shows
>>  the longer term aims of the NCSP:
>>
>> 4.33 In parallel we are taking action to make sure that it is
>> simple and straightforward for members of the public to report
>> cyber crimes. Of course this should include being able to do so
>> online. 4.34 Over half of all police forces already provide a
>> facility for the public to report crime online, though these range
>> from basic systems for certain crime types to fully integrated
>> crime reporting tools. We will support forces to move to full
>> online crime reporting by helping them identify good practice. 4.35
>> People are already encouraged to report fraud, including cyber
>> fraud, through the internet, using the Action Fraud tool. We will
>> make it easier for people to do this by improving its accessibility
>> and functionality. Crime reports can currently take up to 30
>> minutes to complete online. We will aim to reduce that time by a
>> half. 4.36 As well as allowing the police to follow up directly on
>>  individual crimes, better reporting will help build our
>> intelligence picture through the National Fraud Intelligence
>> Bureau, improving the targeting of enforcement resources and
>> feeding into crime prevention advice.
>>
>> These are, of course, ambitions...
>>
>>
>> Peter Sommer
>>
>>
>> On 03/12/2011 17:25, Peter Tomlinson wrote:
>>> For some time the Met Police have been inviting the forwarding of
>>>  scam emails to National Fraud Authority
>>> <email at actionfraud.org.uk>. I have just now sent them one, having
>>> not sent any for a while. PlusNet (which I use for sending, but I
>>> receive by clicking through to another ISP that hosts my incoming
>>> email service) has been very actively blocking reporting of them
>>> when Cloudmark has already picked up and banned the URL of the
>>> malevolent web site that the body of the email sends you to - but
>>> today one got through to actionfraud, and I got the response
>>> copied below:
>>>
>>> Thank you for your email.
>>>
>>> Reporting scam emails has changed and we are no longer taking
>>> emails through email at actionfraud.org.uk.
>>>
>>> If you would like to report a scam email, a fraud or need
>>> guidance on fraud and how to protect yourself, please go to
>>> www.actionfraud.org.uk. Action Fraud is the UK's national fraud
>>> reporting centre.
>>>
>>> To report a crime that is not fraud related please contact your
>>> local police. Police force contact details can be found at
>>> www.police.org.uk.
>>>
>>> To make an anonymous crime report please phone Action Fraud on
>>> 0300 123 2040.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>


-- 
Chris Salter
http://www.originalthinktank.org.uk/
http://www.post-polio.org.uk/