Phishing scam uses other phishing scams to steal personal information

Researchers at Symantec Security Response said Tuesday that emails purportedly from the Anti-Scam Department of the British Secret Intelligence Service were "warning" users that they might be scam victims.

The phishing email asks recipients if they’re a party to a high-end business transaction, have been told they’re lottery winners, have overdue contract funds or promised large sums of money, researcher Eric Chien said on the Symantec Security Response weblog on Tuesday.

The email then asks recipients to reply with their legal names, countries of residence and contact details, offering free investigative services, according to Chien.

Chien told SCMagazine.com that "this is the first anti-scam scam [Symantec Security Response has] seen," adding that its success will determine whether there are copycat scams.

"The premise is the same [as other phishing scams], and it’s just a change in social engineering - it’s social engineering on social engineering," he said.

"I don’t think it’s something we would’ve predicted. There’s so much low-hanging fruit out there, and people are still getting duped in so many of the existing scams."