Nigerian gang use Gumtree ads to distribute Trojan malware

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2417712/Nigerian-gang-posted-fake-Harrods-job-adverts-Gumtree-fleece-1m-savings-desperate-job-seekers.html

11 September 2013
Fraudsters allgedly posted fake adverts for work at Harrods on a website as part of a £1 million scam to trick desperate job hunters of their savings, a court heard today.
The Nigerian gang recruited a British computer whizzkid Tyrone Ellis to write 'Trojan' malware which were hidden in job application pack downloads posted on the free website Gumtree.
Once embedded on computers, the software copied bank log on and security details of those seeking work before forwarding them on to the gang, the court was told.
The gang would then empty the accounts taking everything they had, which in some cases amounted to just £400 and in other cases £4,700, the Old Bailey said.
'Mules' were then hired to go to banks and withdraw the cash or the gang would go on an online shopping spree, it was heard.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24950721

15 November 2013
Online job advert fraudsters jailed

I note this

…….. …….. who pleaded guilty to using her position as an employee of Santander bank to provide the gang with customer account data, was handed a two-year suspended sentence.

I personally believe that anyone in banking who performs fraud or assists others to perform fraud should face a mandatory prison term. If you're the richest or the poorest customer in the land you are at risk from a rogue member of staff and can have everything you own stolen.

I've never come across a major bank being being hacked and inevitably such reported cases inevitably involve an insider to whom banks are extremely vulnerable. Weak sentencing only encourages others to try it.

If you can't trust the staff - you can't trust the bank. It's that simple.