1 consumer complaint in 2004. NCL staff provides advice and tips on how to
spot possible telemarketing or Internet fraud and how to report it.

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Don't Let April 1 Be April 'Phools' Day: Federal Trade Commission National Consumers League and Microsoft Warn Internet Users of Phishing Scams

Last month, Postini had already announced an alarming growth rate in the
number of phishing attempts.
For more information contact Postini at 866-767-8461, or visit
http://www.

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(Photo: NewsCom: http://www.m.

Media Contacts:

Marty Tacktill Kimberly Canedo
Postini Neale-May + Partners
(650) 482-3197 (650) 328-5555 ext.

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Following the
instructions, you enter your personal information on the Web site --
and into the hands of identity thieves. July Phishing Attempts Reach Highest Level Ever

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.
This was the second consecutive month that the number of virus-infected
messages decreased.com/stats and
provides the most up-to-date statistics on the latest viruses, spam and DHA
attacks.

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"
Kornblum announced that Microsoft is filing 117 lawsuits against alleged
phishers as part of its commitment to protecting consumers against phishing
and other cybercrime.
-- Don't click on a link in an e-mail message that asks for your personal
information.
For more information, visit http://www.

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It may take you to a phony Web site that looks just like
the Web site of the real company or government agency.

The company had recorded 16,667,444 phishing
emails, the second-highest level ever recorded at that time . Spam rates remained stable, representing
88 percent of the total number of email messages sent.

Only 12 percent of all
messages were legitimate email.

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"Just delete it. The company is filing the lawsuits today in the U. To check whether the message is
really from the company or agency , call it directly or go to the
company's Web site. Consumers from across the United States and Canada can call
800-876-7060, Monday through Friday, 9 a.org .
Postini's managed service model stops threats before they reach your network.postini.

scammers phishing

com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
Phishing is a high-tech twist on the all-too-common crime of identity
theft, where spam or pop-up messages are used to deceive recipients into
releasing personal or financial information into the hands of criminals.C.

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"
Most legitimate companies and agencies don't operate that way.
Legitimate credit card issuers and other companies may contact you if
there is an unusual pattern indicating that someone else might be using
one of your accounts. With consumers'
personal information , tech-criminals then commit credit-card fraud, identity
theft and even perform unauthorized bank account transfers. 278
kcanedo@nealemay.

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"We must work together to stop these con artists from
misusing the Internet as a tool for fraud. Law enforcement agencies might also contact you if you 've
been the victim of fraud.

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S.m.

NOTE: Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.com

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"
"The Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate , transact business
and educate ourselves," said Aaron Kornblum, Internet Safety Enforcement
attorney at Microsoft. If you don't have the telephone number, get it from
the phone book, the Internet or directory assistance.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services
and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential .
Phishing is a scam in which the perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking
emails appearing to come from legitimate e-commerce sites in an effort to
obtain personal and financial information from the recipient.

The top ten viruses for July were:

Virus Name Quantity Detected

mytob 35,552,233
netsky 8,928,004
bankfraud 4,820,534
mime 4,745,732
bagle 2,323,707
zafi 1,129,036
mydoom 1,103,801
lovgate 708,111
klez 182,724
bagz 173 ,268

Postini's StatTrak(TM) is available to users at http://www.

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S.org ."
In contrast to increased phishing, the number of virus infected messages
for the month of July decreased by 20 percent compared to the previous month. Postini prevented a total of 60 million virus instances
from entering corporate networks.com.

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Microsoft Announces Filing of 117 Lawsuits Against Phishing Site Operators

WASHINGTON, In sharp contrast to the
harmless pranks that will be played on April Fools ' Day, deceptive phishing
schemes are no laughing matter. To strike a blow against criminals who prey on
Internet users, the U. in the
United States and/or other countries.

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Appearing at the National Press Club in Washington, D. It's hard to tell whether something is legitimate
by looking at an e-mail or a Web site, or talking to someone on the
phone. Use a search
engine to find the official Web site. Our mission is to protect and promote social and
economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. Postini processed
over 14 billion emails in July and found that the number of phishing instances
totaled 19,282,136, a 16 percent increase compared to June.postini.

phishing rife

newscom.
"Computer users can stop phishers by not responding to an e -mail or pop-up
that asks for personal information," said Lydia Parnes of the FTC's Bureau of
Consumer Protection. Microsoft provides consumers with
the information and technology that will help protect all of us from this
pervasive and destructive threat, and has filed legal action today against
some of these individuals.
Through today's sweep of John Doe lawsuits, Microsoft's legal team hopes
to establish connections between phishing scams worldwide and uncover the
largest-volume operators .nclnet. For more information visit http://www.

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About The National Consumer League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer
consumer organization. Fraud
reports from consumers are sent within minutes to over 200 appropriate law
enforcement agencies , including the Federal Trade Commission and state
attorneys general.

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District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle against John
Doe defendants. But usually they only ask if you made particular
transactions; they don't request your account number or other personal
information. EST, or fill out the
online form to file a complaint.
"Phishing scams have been growing in number and sophistication," said
Andrew Lochart, senior director of marketing at Postini.

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Federal Trade Commission (FTC), National Consumers
League and Microsoft Corp. To be on the safe side, ask for the person's
name, the name of the agency or company, the telephone number , and the
address.fraud.

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, Lydia Parnes,
acting director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, Susan Grant,
director of the National Consumers League's National Fraud Information Center
and Internet Fraud Watch program, and Jacqueline Beauchere and Aaron Kornblum
of Microsoft urged Internet users to exercise the same caution when doing
business online as they would in the physical world and called for increased
consumer awareness of phishing.

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Postini Reports Sizzling Summer Phishing Season

, Postini, the industry's
leading provider of email security and management services, today announced
that phishing attempts in July had reached their highest levels since the
company started tracking for this type of fraudulent email. Postini also protected its customers from
more than 23 million directory harvest attacks (DHAs), an 8 percent decrease
compared to June's 25 million DHAs.

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(Nasdaq: MSFT) today urged consumers to beware of
phishing schemes aimed at stealing their identities. And,
for the first time, phishing appeared on the top Internet and telemarketing
scams lists gathered by the National Consumers League in 2004."
"Phishing is more than a dirty trick played on unsuspecting consumers --
it's a serious identity theft problem," said Grant.
Internet users should follow these simple steps to avoid phishing scams:

-- Be suspicious if someone contacts you unexpectedly and asks for your
personal information. But if you're contacted out of the blue and asked for your
personal information, it's a warning sign that something is "phishy.
-- If someone contacts you and says you've been a victim of fraud, verify
the person's identity before you provide any personal information. Then get the main number (see tip above) and call to find out
if the person is legitimate.
NCL runs the National Fraud Information Center, which was created in 1992,
and the Internet Fraud Watch, which was created in 1996, operating in tandem
with the NFIC. to 5 p.

About Postini
Postini, the global leader in secure email boundary services, stops spam
and viruses, enforces policy compliance and improves email manageability.

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The
FTC reports that identity theft was the No. "In little over a year
it's become one of the top scams reported to our National Fraud Information
Center and Internet Fraud Watch program. "Postini's complete
email boundary protection stops phishing attempts by providing security at the
connection level to prevent threats from ever reaching the corporate network.