February 14, 2005 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — According to reports, an Internet vigilante group known as the 419 Flash Mob, launched a two-day bandwidth attack last Wednesday against spammers attempting to defraud people by providing hosting services for fake bank sites.
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The criminals, reports say, run the “419 scam,” which sends out emails, faxes and letters, asking individuals for help in recovering money from banks in exchange for a percentage. These criminals have reportedly graduated to hosting fake bank sites, hoping to lure victims to deposit money in their illegitimate accounts.
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The 419 Flash Mob reportedly launched a distributed denial of service attack against the spammers’ bandwidth and have reported them to their Web host and other legal authorities.
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Reports said the sites attacked had the names Abbey Trust & Offshore Bank, First Global Trust, Crystal Bonds & Securities, Allied Trust Bank UK, KASH BANK CORPORATION and Liberty Stronghold Securities and Finance.
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The 419 Flash Mob is supported by Artists Against 419 (aa419.org).
