CommBank hit by phishing scam

The Commonwealth Bank has been hit by another email-based phishing attack.

The scam, sent out this morning, attempts to lure the bank’s internet banking customers to a site in order to capture their log-in details.

“Dear Valued Commonwealth Bank Client,” the email reads. “We have recently detected increasing number of attempts to login into your account from different IP addresses and geographical locations.

“Based on these recent developments, we have decided to suspend your account with immediate effect. However, you can reactivate it using our automated reactivation system.”

A link in the email takes users to a mock CommBank login screen. The domain on which the scam is hosted, http://telegasy.net, appears to be French.

According to Commonwealth Bank general manager media, Bryan Fitzgerald, the bank was aware of the scam and had referred it to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The bank was also due to send out an alert to its internet banking customers shortly.

Fitzgerald said the company had been hit by another phishing attack in recent months but that there seemed to be no discernable increase in the number of scams targeting the Commonwealth.

“These things go through phases,” he said. "I think there is a roster for scammers and this month it’s our turn.”

The bank was currently working with the High Tech Crime Centre to help defeat such scams, Fitzgerald said, and had seconded a staff member to be based with the Commission.

The Canberra-based Centre is run by AFP as an attempt at a coordinated approach to combating high tech crime in Australia.