Volume IV

Issue : 20: November 30, 2006

• U.S. Court of Appeals Denies Claim under CAN SPAM Act
• California Supreme Court Rules Online Republishers not Liable for Third Party Postings
• Movie Studios Bring Action over Movies on iPods
• Craigslist Receives Favourable Ruling on Housing Listings
• Nova Scotias New Privacy Legislation to Counter U.S. Patriot Act
• Zillow.com Accused of Racial Discrimination When Valuing Homes
• Microsoft Catches Phishers
• The Big Three Search Engines Collaborate with Sitemaps Project
• The McDonalds Sandwich Patent
• Supreme Court of Canada Recognizes the Right to Enforce a Foreign Non Monetary Judgment

Home > Volume IV > Issue 20: November 30, 2006 > Microsoft Catches Phishers

Microsoft Catches Phishers

Last week, Microsoft Corp. announced, at a European Union conference on identity theft, that it has initiated 129 lawsuits in Europe and the Middle East against individuals it believes are stealing bank account details on the Internet. The company’s Global Phishing Enforcement Initiative was launched in March 2006. Since then, settlements and a criminal conviction with a multiple-year sentence have been achieved in these regions.

In addition to initiating suits, Microsoft works with law enforcement agencies to provide information. The criminal route is elected for those cases Microsoft believes to be perpetrated by real criminals, while civil suits are directed mainly against teenagers without criminal intent. Microsoft looks for a monetary settlement (1000 - 2000 euros) and parental anger in such civil matters as a deterrent. The company can initiate the suits even when it is not the target of identity theft because the legal systems in many jurisdictions permit anyone suffering from the attacks to claim damages. Microsoft believes that the attacks reduce its ability to conduct business and damage its trust with consumers.

Turkey leads the list of countries where investigations and criminal actions were filed. Germany and France were second and third respectively. A similar U.S.-directed program was initiated by Microsoft in 2003.

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