http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/feb/25/jack-straw-email-fraud By Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk 25 February 2009 What would you do if you were the justice secretary and had lost your wallet while visiting Africa? You'd send out an email to hundreds of your friends, colleagues and passing acquaintances, asking them for the fare home, of course. That is what fraudsters who got hold of Jack Straw's email account would have had his contacts believe. It emerged yesterday that a gang of Nigerian internet hackers had sent hundreds of emails to the Blackburn MP's contacts, claiming that he had lost his wallet while on charity work in Africa and was in need of $3,000 (£2,000) to get home. Straw may have been a little disgruntled to learn that among the numerous Ministry of Justice officials, Labour party members, constituents, and council bosses who were emailed, not one offered a single penny to help. In fact, only one constituent is believed to have replied to the email. Straw said there had been no serious breach of security, as the attempted fraud related to addresses stored in his Hotmail account rather than a ministerial one. He told his local newspaper, the Lancashire Telegraph, that emails from the account, now suspended by Microsoft, were sent to a "significant number of people". He said: "It was an issue for constituents, not the government. We are checking all that, and I'm assured there's no evidence that confidentiality of constituents was affected." [...] _______________________________________________ Best Selling Security Books and More! http://www.shopinfosecnews.org/Received on Tue Feb 24 2009 - 23:29:35 PST
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