Police swamped by iPod e-mail scam
Police swamped by iPod e-mail scam
Mon 8 December, 2003 18:26
LONDON (Reuters) - Cambridgeshire police say a wave of phone calls from irate consumers have swamped the police switchboard late last week and through the weekend after the department got hit by an e-mail hoax.
According to a statement posted on the Cambridgeshire Police Web site, a spam e-mail message surfaced last week alerting people that their credit card had been charged 399 pounds for a new Apple iPod portable music player.
To settle the matter, the e-mail advised, the recipient should ring a designated phone number -- the Cambridgeshire police switchboard, the police said in the statement on Monday .
"This appears to be a deliberate attempt to affect the service provided by the force," said Deputy Chief Constable Alan Given in the statement.
The message purported to come from a company called "UK Cards," police said.
The UK's new anti-spam legislation kicks in on Thursday, slapping a 5,000 pound fine on anyone who sends unsolicited e-mail marketing messages to home-based Internet users.
The law has come under attack from anti-spam crusaders who argue the penalty is not severe enough to act as a deterrent.
Source:Reuters
Mon 8 December, 2003 18:26
LONDON (Reuters) - Cambridgeshire police say a wave of phone calls from irate consumers have swamped the police switchboard late last week and through the weekend after the department got hit by an e-mail hoax.
According to a statement posted on the Cambridgeshire Police Web site, a spam e-mail message surfaced last week alerting people that their credit card had been charged 399 pounds for a new Apple iPod portable music player.
To settle the matter, the e-mail advised, the recipient should ring a designated phone number -- the Cambridgeshire police switchboard, the police said in the statement on Monday .
"This appears to be a deliberate attempt to affect the service provided by the force," said Deputy Chief Constable Alan Given in the statement.
The message purported to come from a company called "UK Cards," police said.
The UK's new anti-spam legislation kicks in on Thursday, slapping a 5,000 pound fine on anyone who sends unsolicited e-mail marketing messages to home-based Internet users.
The law has come under attack from anti-spam crusaders who argue the penalty is not severe enough to act as a deterrent.
Source:Reuters